Glass Hearts
by Brooklyn Blue
Summary: They've already lost Aidan, the grief is still strong and their hearts are fragile. Michelle has called off her wedding and Carla just wants her to be happy again. Now they need to keep one another closer than ever.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Who drifts away from a fandom and rocks up again a good five years later? Apparently, I do.**

 **Ilooked over all of the stories I'd written and I have to say, the majority of them made me cringe so hard. I was very young and I feel that this is reflected in my writing. I was quite a different person five years ago, I feel that my skills have developed and matured with me and so I thought I'd dip my toe in the water by releasing this one-shot. If the 'Carchelle' fandom is still alive out there, I may consider a continuation of this. I'm hoping that my style has matured and will continue to do so!**

 **I have absolutely no idea how or why I've suddenly come back to this fandom, after being away for so long and moving onto other television shows, it just feels right to me. I think because it was such a huge part of my life at one point, my 'fangirl' heart never really gave out. I think if something was once really important to you, part of it remains so and I have found myself drifting back here completely unintentionally, but there's got to be a reason for me doing so.**

 **As much as I did not enjoy reading back through my own work, there was something pleasantly nostalgic in remembering that part of my life. It's feels odd, in a good way, to just think about how much everything has changed and also makes me wonder what will happening in another five years. If I'll be sat reading this chapter, feeling the same way.**

 **However, I'm getting all philosophical and strange, so I'll stop this rambling, welcome you to this piece and (on the very slight off chance that there may still be people here that I knew before) welcome back anyone who possibly may have known my writing.**

 **Blue x**

 **Glass Hearts**

It was Ali who has informed her that the wedding was off, in fact the whole relationship was off. It seemed Michelle had called time on her Robert's partnership and the news had come as a shock to Carla.

"What are you talking about?" She murmured, glancing around the cafe to make sure they were out of earshot. That would certainly explain why her best friend hadn't answered a single message from her all day.

"She called it off, something happened with Robert." Ali pushed some money across the counter to Shona, who had placed his take out coffee on the glass top. He told her to keep the change before turning back to the concerned brunette. "She couldn't cope with what he had done and I don't think I blame her. You've all got more than enough on your plates."

"But what did he do? Is he back on the-" Carla cut off, glancing feverishly around her once more before lowering her voice. "Is he using steroids again?" She whispered, her brow creased with confusion.

Ali shook his head and beckoned her out of the door, taking her wrist gently and leading her around the corner, into the ginnel where they were out of ear shot.

"He's not back on the steroids, but they have affected his health. I went to see Michelle last night to pick up my shirt and Robert wasn't there. She told me they'd split up, but she didn't say why. She looked really upset."

"Of course she did, they were supposed to be getting married! What do you mean his health was affected?" Carla was no Miss Marple, but she had the distinct feeling that Ali knew more than he was letting on. A flash of guilt in his eyes confirmed her suspicions.

"I really can't disclose anymore information, it would be breaking patient confi-"

"Oh, cut the professional claptrap and tell me what you know. We're family."

"I accessed Roberts medical records after I left Michelle's yesterday." He admitted, glancing down at the cobbles and kicking at a rock with the polished toe of his shoe. "As I'm not directly involved with his care, I didn't have a right to look at them."

"I'm hardly going to go shooting my mouth off, what do you take me for?" Carla rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone, quickly firing off another text message to Michelle. "She hasn't answered me all morning, I'm going to see her and make sure she's alright. Tell me what you know and make it snappy."

"Robert had a heart attack, he was in hospital. I'm guessing that he either didn't stop his usage or that the damage was already done. But Carla, you can't tell anyone I told you this, I mean it, I'd lose my job."

Carla had just about recovered from the shock of the information Ali had just relayed to her, she was frozen for just a moment, her mind working rapidly to catch up with with her legs, which had started to carry her speedily in the direction of Michelle's flat. She waved her hand behind her, signalling 'thank you', 'goodbye' 'mums the word' to her friends son.

Her heart was pounding slightly by the time she reached the flat and a hint of nausea wavered her steps as she headed up to Michelle's floor. Slowing slightly, she took a deep, calming breath before proceeding. Unwisely, she had skipped breakfast that morning and was yet to have lunch, so she knew she shouldn't be exerting herself.

Carla knocked sharply on the door, shuffling impatiently while waiting for her friend to answer.

"Michelle!" She called out when the answer never came, rapping a little louder on the door. When these echoed harshly in the corridor and no answer followed, she felt panic rise hotly and settle in back of her throat. It was stupid, Michelle wouldn't do anything like that, but with Aiden's death so raw, so painful, her brain was jumping to all kinds of horrific conclusions. She could see Johnny in the back of her mind, calling in to see his son and finding him like...like that. Crouching down, she jammed herself up against the keyhole and squinted one eye shut, trying to get a glimpse of inside the flat. She could see the back of Michelle's sofa, a bottle of wine on the coffee table that seemed to be empty.

"Michelle, I'm coming in." Carla called firmly, though her voice shook slightly as she dug around in her bag, feeling for a set of keys. They were ones she'd been given for emergencies, or the time Michelle had kindly offered Carla the flat for a couple of nights when she'd taken a weekend break with Robert, in case she'd wanted a couple of nights alone. Roy was amazing, he'd done everything he could for her, but the idea of being able to sprawl across the sofa on an evening, watching a programme that didn't feature trains or an endangered species had been one she'd unable to resist.

It took her a couple of attempts to get the key into the lock, she knew it was silly to panic, she knew her best friend was okay. Well, as okay as anyone who had just called off their wedding could be. The knot of fear in her stomach still wouldn't loosen. She burst through the door like a cork from champagne, her eyes searching wildly around the empty living room. There was another bottle of wine on the kitchen worktop, not quite empty but barely a glass left.

Soft notes of music were playing from the bedroom, only just audible against the blood that was pounding in her ears. Carla strode purposely across the floor and seized the handle, throwing open the door.

"Didn't you hear me calling? I've been so worried! Why didn't you-?" Her words died on her tongue, her features softening instantly, heart clenching at the scene before her. "Oh, 'Chelle..."

Standing there in front of a tall mirror, her back turned, was her best friend. She was staring into her reflection with tears streaming down her cheeks. Her glossy hair had been pinned into what would have been an intricate up-do, only her hands had been shaking and clumsy. Rustic curls had slipped down to softly frame her face, which was shining with sorrow, mascara streaking her lightly tanned skin.

The dress was breathtaking, a form fitting ivory gown which flowed smoothly over her figure, delicate lace winding around her body, blossoming down her arms and pooling at her feet.

Slowly, Carla made her way over to her silently sobbing friend, a lump forming in her aching throat as she surveyed the woman before her. She looked like an angel. Bringing her arms forward, she gently wrapped them around Michelle's lithe waist and pressed herself against her quivering frame, lowering her chin to her shoulder. She allowed her eyes to take in the younger woman's reflection once more, she hadn't acknowledged Carla's prescience, but her tears were falling thick and fast.

"You look so, _so_ beautiful," She whispered, turning her head to kiss her heartbroken friends cheek, tasting salt on her lips as she did so. "He didn't deserve you."

"Why wasn't I enough?" Michelle whispered, her lower lip trembling as she spoke.

Carla looked at her, looked at this amazing, sweet, caring person who had been by her side for over twenty-five years and her mouth fell open slightly. How could she even begin to explain how wrong the younger woman was? How could she even begin to form an answer? This exquisite human had suffered more heartbreak than anyone deserved. She was still suffering now. The older brunette didn't know where to start, she just knew she needed to alleviate her pain.

"You were _more_ than enough," Carla breathed, reaching up to brush her thumb gently over a tear stained cheek, erasing the smeared make up that had streaked across her skin. "You're so far out of his league, 'Chelle, look at you..." She turned them both back towards the mirror, gently teasing one of the fallen curls, winding it around her finger before releasing the strand and watching as it bounced back into place.

"He isn't the same person I fell in love with," Michelle admitted, her brow furrowed as though the words physically pained her. "I know it's the addiction but I...I just can't do it, Carla. Not with-with everything else that's happened-I can't-" A loud sob followed as the woman lost what little composure she had. She fell against her friend and Carla could do nothing but allow her to cry. To the best of her ability, she comforted the younger woman, rubbing her back and murmuring softly into her ear, promising that everything would be okay. It had to be. There was no way she could stand to see one of the people she loved most in the world suffer anymore than they had to.

The shoulder of Carla's too was noticeably damp by the time Michelle's sobs had somewhat subsided. Her breathing was still ragged and her eyes were red, but it seemed she was now all cried out. Nuzzling into the crook of her friends neck, she breathed in the familiar scent and it soothed her. It was reassuring; Carla was always there. And even when she'd had to go, she always came back.

"He didn't want to dance," Michelle spoke for the first time since breaking down, her voice was thick, she sounded as though she had a bad head cold. Carla tilted her head to the side.

"What do you mean?"

"The wedding, he didn't want us to dance. He said it wasn't his thing."

Carla mentally cursed Robert in her head, wanting to put him right back in hospital for causing Michelle so much pain. Especially now, especially with everything they had already lost. Letting go of her friend for just a moment, she walked over to where the speaker was playing the music she'd heard before and turned the volume up a little. Soft piano notes began to play and she turned back towards Michelle, holding her hand out.

"Dance with me?" A violin had joined the piano, sending an elegant wave of sound around the room.

"What?" Michelle looked confused at her friends proffered hand, she couldn't remember a time when Carla had danced, at least soberly.

"I'd consider it an absolute honour, if you'd join me in this dance," Carla whispered, her voice still audible above the soft, deep vocals that were emanating from the speaker behind them.

The frown on Michelle's face softened instantly and her eyes sparkled with tears once more. "Carla," She swallowed, clearly touched, as she accepted her friends hand. She felt herself coaxed into softly twirling around, before being drawn closer when Carla's other hand slipped around her waist, their bodies flush against one another.

 _Isn't it lovely, all alone_

 _Heart made of glass, my mind of stone_

Michelle brought her hand which wasn't clasped in Carla's to her shoulder, tenderly brushing her hair out of the way before resting her hand there. The older woman was gazing across at her friend with the softest expression, leading the dance as she swayed them gently.

 _I hope someday I'll make it out of here,_

 _Even if it takes all night or a hundred years_

A tear slipped down Michelle's cheek once more and Carla instantly brought herself closer. She wrapped both arms around the woman's waist and gave her a comforting squeeze. Silently, they danced throughout the remainder of the song, the notes that played seemed to mirror the sadness; they were heartbreaking and beautiful. Leaning forward, Michelle gently touched her forehead to Carla's and a watery smile spread across her lips. She wanted to thank her, for being there. For dancing with her. For being the one person who she felt she could be around. She was so worried she had been drowning in the sorrow of her losses. It had certainly felt like her lungs had been filled with icy cold water, each breath a wave of despair which crashed into her heart, but Carla's arms were a life belt wrapped around her, keeping her from sinking too far into the murky depths.

Maybe it was because they'd lost Aiden and now she'd lost Robert, maybe it was a way of wanting to keep everyone as close as she possibly could. It might have been because her head was a complete mess, or because she'd almost drank two bottles of wine to take the edge from the pain she was feeling. It could be because of the way Carla was looking at her, like making her feel better was the only thing that mattered in the world to her. It was probably all of these things and the fact that they were so close anyway. Literally. Carla's nose had bumped lightly into hers, scrunched slightly, and then moved back to nudge against it once more for comic effect.

But the younger woman had tilted her head, reaching up to graze her thumb over a prominent cheekbone. Their lips brushed, almost light enough for it to have been accidental, for Michelle to have been able to pretend the tilt of her head was nothing other than bad timing, for her to have pulled away so they could dust the mishap off with giggles apologies. She did neither of these things, instead she pressed her lips more firmly against her friends and sealed the gap.

 _Tear me to pieces, skin to bone,_

 _Hello, welcome home_

 **A/N: Thank you for reading. The song referenced here is "Lovely" by Billie Eilish and Khalid.**


	2. Chapter 2

A stream of yellow sunlight shone brightly through the curtains, spilling across the face of a sleeping brunette whose eyes screwed up at the unwelcome intrusion. She had been snoozing peacefully until then. As soon as Michelle tried to squint into the light she let out a muffled groan; what little of the room she had seen had already began swimming and there was a dull ache spreading across her skull. Trying to piece together the fragments of the night before only seemed to increase the unpleasant squeezing, as though her brain was trying to protest against having to think. The backs of her eyelids glowed red when she snapped them shut against the rays and she reluctantly twisted her tired body away from the window.

"Well, aren't you a vision," A sarcastic voice forced her eyes open once more. Looking down at her, with a smug smirk across her face and one eyebrow raised, Carla grinned cockily at her friend. "How's the head?"

"You can wipe that dirty grin off your face," Michelle croaked, her own voice raspy and scratching the back of her throat. A wicked laugh sounded at her words, causing her to reach up and press her hand over the mouth it came from.

"Ey, look, I'm here to help if you'd actually look at me properly," Carla tutted after batting the other woman's hand away. She was reaching over to the bed side table and plucking a glass of water from it when Michelle grudgingly opened her eyes again, little by little so as to adjust them as painlessly as possible to the light. Taking hold of the drink Carla was offering, she took long, grateful gulps if the cool liquid, feeling it soothing her throat and her sudden thirst. After draining the glass in one go, she swiped her hand across her mouth and sat back against the headboard, trying for a second time to piece the night before together.

Carla watched Michelle's eyes sweep around the room until they fell on the wedding dress that was crumpled in the corner on the floor. She could see them filling with tears and quickly reached across to squeeze her hand.

"I know, I know it hurts. Waking up and remembering everything all over again."

 _The song finished before their kiss did. When they broke apart, hazel eyes met green and they waited. It was Carla who had spoken first, recovering from the shock faster than Michelle, who was still drunk and dazed, though not enough so that she couldn't feel the slight panic rising in her chest._

" _I think you've had enough to drink. Why don't you get cleaned up and then we can talk?" Having noticed the alarm in her expression, Carla had reassuringly cupped Michelle's face in her hand, stroking down her cheek before gently turning her around so she could help her with the fastening on her dress._

" _Thank you," Michelle murmured, struggling out of the form fitting gown, allowing it to crumple at her feet. She stepped out of it and stared at the garment with contempt, before reaching down to snatch it from the floor and throwing it angrily across the room. It landed in an undignified heap a little away from the bed, but Michelle didn't even give it a second glance as she stormed into her en-suite._

 _Carla let out a heavy sigh, making her way out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. She took out two glasses, filling one with water and the other with the rest of the wine that hadn't made its way down Michelle's throat. Carla already knew what the wine would taste like. Raising her hand, she pressed her fingertips to her lips, thinking for a moment before shaking her head. No. She wasn't going to dwell on anything, she was going to take care of her friend._

" _Chelle?" She called out to her from the kitchen, picking up both drinks and starting to head back into the bedroom. She found her friend curled up on top of the duvet, she'd changed into a satin, lavender pyjama short set and her face had been scrubbed of make up. It made her look younger, even more heartbroken somehow. Her eyes were closed and she hadn't acknowledged Carla's reappearance._

 _Assuming she was out for the count, Carla abandoned the drinks on the bedside table and quietly set about finding herself something to change into. Settling on one of Michelle's nightshirts, she made sure her own clothes were folded neatly over the dressing chair before making her way around to the other side of the bed. Thinking she'd attempt to coax her friend into manoeuvring under the duvet, she reached across to give her a gentle nudge, but found that Michelle's eyes were wide open, glassy and red. They looked so sore._

"' _Chelle, come here," Carla mumbled, peeling back the duvet further and shuffling closer to the other woman._

 _Tears spilled once more down Michelle's cheeks as she allowed herself to be bundled up into her friends embrace, her own arms sealing themselves around Carla and clinging on as though it was all that was holding her together. In that moment, it's what it felt like. There was nothing that could be said that would make things better, so Carla allowed her friend to cry her pain out. Alternating between stroking her back and pressing gentle kisses against her forehead, she comforted the woman as she cried, a lump forming in her own throat as the weight of the last few weeks settled in her chest._

 _Michelle took a deep, shuddering breath, her face sticky with half tried tears as she glanced up at Carla, who gave her a small, sad smile._

" _We just keep losing everything, everyone," The younger woman whimpered, allowing the other brunette to gently brush her cheeks free from moisture. Her skin stung slightly, sore from the salty trails._

" _I'm still here, I'll always be here," Carla didn't have a direct answer. There wasn't one. Michelle was right, it seemed all they'd ever known as a family was loss, heartbreak, having the rug snatched from under their feet. They'd been through it all together and that was the only hope that Carla clung onto. Together. Whatever they had faced, they'd been by each other's side._

" _Do you promise?" Michelle whispered, knowing even as she asked that Carla couldn't possibly promise such a thing. A ripple of panic pulsed through her body at the thought that one day she could wake up and be truly alone. Surely life couldn't be that cruel?_

" _I promise I will never willingly leave you." Even as she said it, snakes of guilt squirmed in the pit of Carla's stomach. She tried not to think about the occasions in which she'd almost broke this promise. Deciding there and then that she would never put Michelle or her family in a position where they couldn't go to her if they needed her, she gently tipped the other woman's chin with her fingertip. "I promise, Michelle." She repeated, leaning in closer until they were nose to nose._

 _Michelle didn't want to over analyse Carla's words, in that moment she believed she meant them. She was exhausted. She wanted to bask in the comfort of her words._

 _Neither of them were sure who had initiated it this time, both finding contentment in a gentle, lingering kiss; a silent 'goodnight' before they curled further into one another's arms and finally gave in to fatigue._

"Michelle?" Carla's arm had slipped around her shoulders and despite feeling confused as the memory of the night before seeped slowly back to her, she couldn't help leaning into her friend. Carla was comfort and reassurance, that was something that she could be certain of.

"I'm sorry," She turned to face the older woman and saw that she had a confused frown on her face. "For putting all this on you, for getting myself in a state and-"

"No, no, just stop. Stop right there." Carla brought her finger up and held it against Michelle's lips, silencing her before tipping her chin. "Anyone in your position would be upset, so you've got no need to apologise for that. Secondly, don't ever say sorry for expressing how you feel. I'm here if you need to talk, cry, rant, whatever you need. You have to promise me now, that you'll keep talking to me. Please, Michelle, don't bottle things up. Don't ever feel like you can't tell me things, day or night. Swear to me?" Carla's eyes had filled with tears at the end of her speech, both of them knowing who had sprung to the front of her mind. The loss was still raw.

"Only if you promise me, too," Michelle murmured, reaching up to cup her hands around Carla's face, stroking her thumbs over the woman's cheeks. "I know you're hurting, I know you don't like to show it, but I know you. I know you better than I know myself."

The smiled at each other and Michelle stretched up to place a gentle kiss to Carla's forehead, brushing her hands down over her hair.

"Deal." Carla agreed, linking their fingers together and giving them a gentle squeeze.

It was silent for a moment. It wasn't awkward, but the room buzzed with things left unspoken.

"Last night..." Michelle started, but soon trailed off, realising she had no idea what she had been about to say.

"It's alright, 'Chelle." For the first time, Carla was avoiding her eyes, which made the other woman feel guilty.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have- I mean- I didn't-"

"It was both of us." She didn't have an explanation, she hadn't even had anything to drink. Carla had kissed her back, relished in the comfort and in the cold light of day, she couldn't think of one excuse as to why she had.

Michelle bit her lip and fell silent, trying to work out how she felt. But it still wasn't awkward. Maybe that's what she was struggling to contemplate. Surely the aftermath of drunken kisses went one of two ways? Lingering embarrassment or laughed off and swept under the carpet. No harm done.

"It wasn't a mistake." She finally spoke, trying to articulate her feelings without scaring the other woman away. Tears burned in her eyes once more, the last thing she needed was for their friendship to collapse again. "I mean, drunken kisses are- are supposed to be like, 'tacky', aren't they? With someone you don't really care about and- and it's usually something you regret doing." Chancing a glance up at the other woman's face, she was relieved to see that Carla didn't look angry and so swallowed and took a breath before continuing. "But you're not a mistake and I care about you, I hope you don't think that I was just using you or-"

"Of course I don't think that!" Carla cut across her, shaking her head. "I kissed you back. I did. And I hadn't had anything to drink. Just don't ask me why I did, because I really don't think I've got an answer for that. I just wanted to." It was a relief to have said it out loud, but it didn't lift the weight for long. Crippling panic took its place.

"Look, 'Chelle, emotions were high last night. You've just cancelled your wedding, split up with your fiancé, we're both grieving for Aiden."

Michelle nodded in agreement, though it still felt like more could be said. It was true, they were a bit of a mess right now. But they'd been in messes before. She could feel Carla's gaze on her and glanced up, shocked to see a very slight smirk pulling at the corner of the other woman's mouth.

"What?" Michelle questioned, tilting her head to the side. Her friend shrugged.

"It was a great kiss though, wasn't it?"

They both laughed, any lingering tension in the room suddenly lifted. Michelle shuffled closer to Carla, resting her hands on her knees.

"You know, we've been in hard situations before and nothing like this has ever happened." Michelle whispered, tucking a strand of the other woman's hair behind her ear, allowing her fingertips to rest on her defined jaw.

"You're sober now," Carla whispered, staying exactly where she was as Michelle leant in closer. "So... how do you...?" The last of the air to finish her sentence was stolen from her lungs when the younger woman pressed their lips together. They both froze in that position, allowing a few moments to pass before Michelle boldly moved against the kiss, capturing a full, lower lip between her own. The action caused Carla to let out a soft sigh, goosebumps travelling along her arms as she reciprocated fully. Tangling one hand in Michelle's hair, resting it against the back of her head, she held her closer still. As soon as her lower lip was released she parted them slightly, inviting the other woman to deepen the kiss. Michelle complied, a whimper leaving her mouth as she entered Carla's, who curled an arm around her waist and held her tighter in response.

It felt right, in that moment. That was really the only reason Carla could think of. She had never kissed anyone before that she hadn't automatically lusted after beforehand. The physical always came before the emotional. Maybe that's why she felt as though no one had kissed her like this in her life. But she didn't want to think too much. She caught Michelle's lower lip between her teeth and nibbled softly, eliciting a deep groan from her younger friend who then responded with vigour.

It was bliss. Her mind was blank; nothing but the feel of Carla's lips against her own mattered. Just for a second, there was no pain, no loss. Sadness was so heavy but now her chest was light, full of delicate butterflies. It felt like everything was okay: she needed to feel more of that. Her fingertips trailed down Carla's sides and came to rest on her hips. She could feel the other woman's hair tickling her cheeks as they worked against one another. Her lips were hard and gentle at the same time, and it was only when she felt a hand trailing under the satin of her pyjama top and stroking across her stomach that she let out a gasp; Carla pulled away almost instantly from the kiss.

"'Chelle," She breathed, touching their foreheads together and watching as her eyes fluttered open.

Michelle found herself staring straight up at Carla, wondering how she'd ended up against the pillows with the older woman atop of her. She couldn't remember moving. They allowed themselves a moment to catch their breath, both women were panting heavily, eyes glazed and lips swollen.

"This isn't a good idea," Carla whispered, taking Michelle's hands and gently pulling her upright, a reassuring smile on her lips. "I'm not saying it's a mistake. It's just not the right time, darling."

"I know, I know," Michelle sighed, still trembling slightly from such a heated moment. "It was just nice to shut everything out."

"That's exactly why we shouldn't, we have so much to do, so much to figure out. We've got a funeral to arrange, we're still grieving."

"I didn't mean I was using you to block out the bad things, you're more than that, it feels like more than-"

"I know." Carla cut across her, giving her hands a reassurance squeeze. "I know that's not what you were saying." Reaching up, she cupped the younger woman's cheeks and have her am affectionate smile.

"We will revisit this, okay? This isn't me avoiding the situation. We need to let the dust settle, that's all."

Nodding in agreement, Michelle allowed Carla to kiss her forehead before they finally released one another.

"I get that, I mean.. Oh, God, I've got so much to do." She stressed, pushing her hair out of her face. "I've got to call around, well, everyone. I've got to cancel the flowers and the music. Thank goodness we were only having it at the Bistro."

"Do you want my help with anything?"

"You're a darling, but I'll be okay to do it."

Carla watched as Michelle scrambled out of the duvet and wandered towards the door. "You can use the shower first if you want?"

"Why, where are you going?"

"I can't sit around moping, can I? I'm going to make us breakfast."

She shot the older woman a smile, which Carla returned. Her eyes were still pained, even a little bloodshot from her upset the night before. It wasn't the end of their sorrow, far from it. But for now, they could relish in the small comforts.

"That's my girl."

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! Any follow up chapters from here may have references to suicide. I'll put trigger warnings where appropriate and I won't be going into detail of the act itself, but the mindset behind it. If you feel like this could be damaging to your health, read when you're with a trusted friend/adult or perhaps consider discontinuing. I don't want to upset or offend anyone. Stay safe!**

 **-Blue x**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Mentions of suicide,**

 **somewhat explicit description of anxiety/panic attacks.**

Michelle walked aimlessly down the street, at a complete loss as to what to do with herself. Everything was cancelled, she was avoiding her phone and she wasn't sure if she still had a job to go to. The misery had set deep in her chest and she was trying not to think about the fact that her world had come crashing down. Panic burned in her chest whenever she focused on everything that had happened over the last few days.

Perching on Maxine's bench, she pulled her phone from her pocket and finally glanced at it for the first time that day. Robert had called her seventeen times. He'd left five messages and around eight voicemails.

' _Michelle please can we talk?'_

' _Why do I have an email confirming the cancellation of our flowers?'_

' _AND our music?! Michelle you can't be serious! We can sort this, please just answer me!'_

' _I'm begging you. I'm so sorry. I truly am. Please don't do this. I love you. Let's just try and wok this out.'_

' _Are you really going to throw everything away?'_

"I didn't throw anything away!" She hissed out loud to herself, seething at how this was suddenly her fault. If he hadn't started injecting himself with poison, none of this would have happened. Angrily deleting the messages, she was about to put her phone away when it lit up with another message, this time from Ryan.

' _Was too short notice to get a refund for the flight. Coming anyway. See you soon!"_

A small smile crept to her lips, knowing she was going to see her son despite having cancelled her wedding instantly lifted her spirits. Though now she was panicking again. Where would they stay? Surely, Robert would be home soon? Michelle knew he was at a friends house, giving them both some space, but it was his flat. Ryan would be here tomorrow, as with a heavy sigh she realised that she should have been excitedly preparing for her own hen do. No wedding, no home, possibly no job- what on earth was she going to do now? Feeling the familiar wave of nausea, she took a deep breath and dropped her head in her hands, trying to combat the anxiety that was causing her heart to thud erratically in her chest.

"Michelle, are you okay?"

Her head snapped up at the sound of her name and she found herself looking up at Kate, who was walking down the street hand-in-hand with Rana. Letting go of her girlfriends hand, she leant down to wrap her cousin up in a comforting hug.

"How're you holding up?"

"I'm... getting there." Michelle lied, knowing full well that Kate didn't buy it.

"You look a bit peaky, are you eating? We're just heading home so Rana can change, but we're going to the Rovers for lunch in half an hour. Why don't you join us?" Kate offered kindly as she let the other woman go.

"Yeah, you'd be more than welcome to. I'm so sorry about you and Robert." Rana added, offering Michelle a placating smile.

"Thank you," The older woman smiled gratefully at the pair of them, though the thought of anything to eat really wasn't appealing at that time. "I'll see how I feel.. I might see you there?"

With a small wave and another smile, she watched them make their way down the street. She wanted nothing more than to run back to her flat and cry. She was almost tempted to do just that, when she laid eyes on the factory. No, she wouldn't do that. Suddenly, Michelle knew exactly who she wanted to see.

The familiar whirring of machines assaulted her ears the moment she pushed the heavy door open. The room was alive with the sound of idle chatter, the smooth aroma of coffee filtrating the air. It was lively, close to lunchtime and the factory workers were chatting happily about what they were going to have. Sean was trying to convince Fizz to head to the cafe with him, rather than go back home.

"Come on; sausage, egg and chips with Manchester Tart for dessert. My treat?" He goaded, smiling triumphantly when she agreed.

There was a beauty in the simple joy of their pleased grins, a reminder that the world kept turning, even if it felt like it had crashed and burned.

"Hiya Michelle, you alright?" Sean called casually to her, gesturing over towards the office window. "She's just on the phone, I was going to ask her if she wanted a drink when she'd finished. I can make you both one, if you'd like?"

The sincerity in his voice told Michelle that he was offering out of genuine kindness, rather than scheming to get away from his machine. A lump formed in her throat, the impact Aiden must have made on the factory staff seemed ever present, his death had been painful on them all.

"That would be great, thank you," Michelle smiled, her hand resting on his arm for a second before allowing him to head into the kitchen area. A quick glance into the window showed her that the Carla hadn't even realised she was there yet. She had her back to them, phone pressed against her ear.

Inching open the office door as silently as she could, she crept into the room, catching what seemed to be a heated conversation. Carla's voice was cold and precise, a warning sign that she was getting wound up.

"It is the unit price that yourself and Mr Connor agreed upon. If you had any qualms about his mathematician skills, why did you accept the offer?" There was a pause, presumably the client on the other end was arguing his case. "I've told you he isn't in office at the moment. You can't speak to him."

Michelle clicked the door closed and Carla's chair whipped around.

'Sorry' Michelle mouthed, but the other woman's hardened expression softened for a second when she regarded her friend, gesturing for her to take a seat.

"If you won't discuss pricing with me, then how can I- No, he won't be back for- No he won't be on mobile- No he won't- he won't answer- _Well call it all you like he won't answer because he's dead!"_ Carla screamed down the phone. A deafening silence echoed around the office. Her eyes filled with tears and she tried to blink them away. They overflowed and spilled down her cheeks.

Instantly, Michelle was on her feet and she was taking the phone from Carla's hand, pressing it to her own ear where a splattered apology was being made down the line. She recognised that voice.

"Hi, Mr Dawson. If you would kindly email the figures across to Underworld, we'll take a look at them and see what we can do for you. Is that okay?"

" _I, uh... Well- well yes, that would be...that would be- but, but don't worry about it. I mean take your time- no rush. I'm sorry-"_

Michelle hung up the phone and placed it down on the desk. Without even thinking, she flipped down the blinds, providing immediate privacy and slid the lock across on the door. Carla hadn't moved since her outburst, she was sat tense in her chair, jaw clenched, tears still on her face. Michelle knew the dam was overflowing and close to bursting. Carla was trying to hold it back.

"You're working yourself too hard," Michelle sighed, crouching down in front of the other woman, her hands resting on her thighs. "It's getting you all upset."

"I'm upset because my brother killed himself!" It might have sounded like she'd been snapping, if her voice hadn't broke, if she hadn't let out a pained sob. Michelle was up by her side, her arms sliding around Carla as she perched on the arm of the chair. It was alarming how tiny the older woman felt in her hold.

"I'm here, I'm here," Michelle murmured soothingly, running a comforting hand through her hair as she cried. "I've got you."

Carla balled her fists into Michelle's shirt and clung to her, heart wrenching sobs filling the office air.

"I wish he'd have talked. Why didn't he talk? I feel so guilty, what sort of sister was I that he couldn't even come to me?" Came broken, muffled cries, her voice raw.

"We all wish that, darling. It's not your fault, you didn't do anything wrong. He was so pleased to have you back in his life, you were an amazing sister to him. You know how much he loved you," Michelle assured her, the same mantra she ran in her own head whenever she too started to feel the aching guilt, torturing herself by analysing every conversation she'd had with him over the last couple of months.

"He saved my life, but I couldn't save his. He was my little brother, I was supposed to protect him and I didn't." Carla finally confessed her turmoil, she couldn't remember the last time she'd gone to sleep without battling her own conscience, shouldering the blame of what had happened.

Michelle's heart squeezed at her best friends words, hating that she seemed to blame herself, knowing full well that had she not walked in and found her on that call, Carla would have kept silent about her personal torment.

"Please stop blaming yourself," The younger brunette pleaded with her, dropping a few calming kisses into her hair as she spoke. Unraveling her arms from around her, she brought them up instead to cup her face, running her thumbs over prominent cheekbones. It was only now she noticed that they seemed slightly too prominent. "Have you had anything to eat?"

Shaking her head, Carla gave a small sigh and waited for the berating that was sure to follow. She hadn't had much of an appetite, though suspected that a lack of food wasn't helping solve the dull ache in her head.

"Come on," She felt herself being pulled up from her seat, Michelle gently squeezing her hands once she was upright. "Kate and Rana invited me for lunch at the Rovers, I bet they'd love to see you there too."

It wasn't quite their scheduled lunch time, but there hadn't been any arguments when Carla had given her staff an early dart. Sliding her arm around the crook of Michelle's elbow, she set off with her towards their local, chatting animatedly with her about the things she'd missed at the factory.

"-So Kirk opened the van to load the boxes and, I don't know how the hell it had managed to become trapped in there, the pigeon flew out at him, he almost wet himself, stumbled backwards and tripped over the boxes! He fell flat on his backside, I could barely stand I was laughing so hard!"

"No way!" Michelle spluttered, a steam of giggles leaving her body as they stepped around a taxi that had just pulled up outside the Rovers. "Oh I'd have loved to have seen-"

"Michelle!"

Freezing in their tracks, both women whipped around at the sound of his voice. Robert was storming towards them, the look on his face thunderous. Carla wrapped a protective around the younger brunette's waist, who was stood rigid.

"What the hell are you playing at? Exactly how long did you think you could avoid me for?"

"Not here, Rob. Look we'll talk lat-"

"Oh and give you another chance to slip off and ignore me? I don't think so, Michelle." The chef looked absolutely terrible. He was pale, almost grey faced, with heavy bags under his eyes. With unkempt hair, crumpled clothing and a light sheen of sweat covering his face that was visible as he got closer, Carla suddenly grew suspicious of this so called friends he was staying at. A quick glance at Michelle confirmed that she was thinking along the same lines.

"Who exactly is this 'friend' that you're staying with? Where's he from? Is he a blast from the past, Robert?" Carla asked,

pointedly, arching her brow.

"What're you accusing me of? Standing there on your high horse, acting like you're so much above me. We both know you're no better. You're just the same, a pathetic addict!"

"Don't you dare speak to her like that!" Michelle stepped forward, standing between them, anger and fear building in her chest. Glancing up into his eyes, she tried to find some familiarity there, just an ounce of the man she'd fallen in love with, but he was staring at her with such an intense hatred.

"You cancelled everything." Robert fumed, his hands balled into fists in his pockets. "You wouldn't even speak to me about it! How could you do that?"

"Because we're over. We spoke about this, I'm not going over it again in the middle of the street or when you're in this state. We'll talk when you've calmed down. I'm going home-"

" _That's my flat, Michelle!"_ He raged, advancing on her. His fury was so uncontrolled that Carla grabbed hold of Michelle and pulled her away from him, suddenly fearing for the woman's safety.

The nausea that had ebbed away earlier in the day was back with full force. Panic prickled along her shoulders and down the back of her neck, tightness returning to her chest. Her airflow seemed restricted as she opened her mouth to try and placate her ex fiancé, but she didn't get the chance to speak.

"It's my flat and my Bistro, or have you forgotten? Your sense of entitlement is astonishing! You do realise that you're not just throwing us away, don't you? You're throwing yourself out onto the street, you're throwing your job away. Are you sure you've thought this through? What exactly are you doing to do?"

Michelle heard him, but his voice sounded oddly muffled. It might have been because she could feel her heartbeat in her ears, hear the blood rushing around her head. The tightness in her chest had turned into a harsh pain and when she let out a gasp against it, she found there was no air to be pulled into her lungs. She was suffocating.

"You're disgusting. If you loved her at all, you wouldn't be putting this pressure on her. Not after everything she's been through!"

She knew it was Carla's voice, but Michelle couldn't hear her words. She was underwater. She was underwater and she couldn't breathe. Her vision started to swim.

It was the sound of the younger woman collapsing to the floor that brought both Carla and Robert out of their angered altercation.

"'Chelle!" Fear laced her cry as she dropped to her knees in front of her friend. She was gasping, her breath coming in short, pained pants, eyes wide with terror.

"Go and get someone." She snapped at Robert, who was staring horrified at two women on the floor. Carla went to take one of Michelle's hands but they were seized, fingers curved into claws as she fought for breath.

"It's okay, Michelle I'm here,"

There was a crash as the door to the Rovers was thrown open with such a force that it hit the wall and Carla felt a wave of relief when she saw Rob emerging with Ali, who still had a napkin tucked into the front of his shirt. Taking one look at Michelle's rigid, shaking frame, the terror in her eyes as she fought for breath, he crouched down in front of her, levelling his face with hers.

"You're safe, it's okay," He spoke in a calm, clear voice. Cautiously, he reached out and caught on of her clenched hands, bringing it up to place on his chest. "Breathe with me, you can do this. Breathe in when you feel my chest pushing against your hand." Inhaling deeply through his nose, he held it for less than a second, before exhaling through his mouth, his eyes locked on his biological mother's as he showed her what to do. "That's it, you're doing it. You're doing brilliant, you're safe Michelle."

Carla and Rob watched Ali slow the woman's erratic breathing, the Bistro at least had the decency to look guilty, the horror of seeing Michelle collapse seemed to have sobered his fury.

"Get out of here, Robert." Carla hissed, knowing that he was the last person the younger woman needed to see right now.

"Tell her she can stay in the flat as long as she needs." He muttered, casting one last worried glance at her before backing off. Carla didn't even turn to watch him go, she crouched back down next to Ali, who had successfully calmed down Michelle.

"Hey, 'Chelle," She called softly, reaching out to rest her hand on her friends knee. "I'm here darlin'."

Her sons face had come steadily into focus once her breathing had slowed, the tightness in her chest ebbing away. She glanced from him to Carla, the relief of suddenly being able to take air into her lungs combined with the familiarity of seeing two people she loved allowing her to speak for the first time.

"What was that? I thought I was going to die," She whispered, wiggling her fingers to combat the onslaught of pins and needles that were prickling her skin.

"You had a panic attack, have you not had one before?" Ali answered, gazing concerned at the brunette. She shook her head, still trembling slightly.

"I'm going to try and help you stand, okay?"

"Are you sure that's a good idea? You look like you might faint," Carla's face was painted with worry, she wanted nothing more than to pull Michelle into her chest and make sure nothing and no one hurt her again.

I'm okay, I'm fine.." She panted as Ali helped her to her feet. He did so slowly, with caution, keeping his arm securely around her.

"Nice and easy, that's it. Not too fast, you'll be dizzy."

She stumbled slightly and Ali caught her with both hands, holding them around her to steady her.

"Thank you," Michelle turned to give him a hug, which he accepted, keeping a gentle hand on her shoulder as they broke apart.

"I've got to get back, my break ended five minutes ago. You should make an appointment and speak to someone...But I will call around later this evening to check on you, okay?" He hesitated for a second, as though battling with himself, before leaning down and pressing a shy, swift kiss to her cheek. "I want you to have had something to eat and drink when i next see you. Nothing alcoholic and nothing caffeinated. That goes for you too!" Rounding on Carla, he raised a somewhat accusatory eyebrow at her.

"Yes, Doctor." She saluted, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. Rolling his eyes, he gave Michelle's shoulder a final squeeze before setting off back over the medical centre. No sooner had he let the younger woman go, Carla's arms had replaced his.

"Right, Doctors orders. I'm taking you home."


	4. Chapter 4

Back at the flat, Carla was fussing non-stop over Michelle. She'd ordered the other woman to the sofa, brought her cushions and a blanket, a glass of water and was currently making her flip through take away menus.

"Carla, will you just sit down and relax? Otherwise you'll be the next one collapsing."

"I'll collapse with hunger if you don't hurry up and choose where we're ordering from." She quipped, flopping down on the sofa next to her friend.

"We were supposed to be leaving to get you lunch, you choose." Michelle murmured, flicking the take away leaflet over to the other woman. If she was being honest with herself, she didn't feel hungry at all. She felt exhausted. Her head ached and she wondered if she was slightly feverish.

Her defeated demeanour didn't go unnoticed by Carla.

"Are you alright?" Shuffling closer, she slipped her arm around Michelle's shoulders and brought her other hand to tilt her face.

"I don't feel well," The other woman admitted, her eyes fluttering closed. Carla sat back and gently guided her friend so that she was leaning into her, making soothing strokes down her back.

"When you've had something to eat, we can go for a proper lie down okay? I've called Alya and she's fine to hold the fort. I don't have to be anywhere else." Feeling Michelle nod against her, she picked up one of the leaflets and scanned it, taking her phone out to place the order.

"The deal was we both had to eat." Carla reminded her. Michelle had been pushing her food around on her plate for a good ten minutes, after barely three mouthfuls. "Come on, we'll finish this and then we can curl up with a film and I won't badger you again for the rest of the night."

Michelle raised her eyebrows disbelievingly, though reluctantly picked up her knife to push the food onto her fork. "You're not doing particularly well, yourself."

"Yeah, well, I normally have a generous glass of Merlot with my Jalfrezi, don't I? My body is in shock." She smirked, leaning over to pick up her water.

"Ah, but your skin will be glowing. You know, without the illuminating concealer." Michelle lightly teased, giggling when Carla flicked her fingertips at her, shaking off the condensation from the cold glass she had just placed back down.

"Well we can't all be flawless like you. How does it feel to be perfect?" She mumbled, finishing a few more mouthfuls before placing down her cutlery. She'd made a decent attempt at finishing her meal, it was definitely the most she'd had in one sitting for quite some time. Her plate joined her water and she sat back, placing a hand over her stomach, comfortably full. "What?"

The younger woman had been starting at her after her admission, as though trying to work out whether Carla was being sarcastic or not.

"You think I'm flawless?"

"You don't?"

Michelle let out a bark of laughter.

"I don't think I'm anything to shout home about." She shrugged, returning her plate to the coffee table, having eaten around as much as Carla, meaning nether of the women could complain at the other.

"You have lovely eyes, but they must not work if you can't see that you're beautiful."

The deep blush that suddenly coloured Michelle's cheeks was a stark contrast against her the paleness of her skin. She bit her lip as an almost shy smile spread across her face. Carla leant forwards and wrapped her arms around her waist, gently guiding her down until she was cuddled in her side. Gentle fingertips stroked through her hair and she let out a low hum of approval. This was the most content she'd felt all day.

Neither of them spoke for a while. The television played to itself, for the most part. Michelle didn't want to focus on anything other than the way her muscles relaxed under the other woman's gentle touch, the tension leaving her shoulders; she was sure she was going to end up drifting off to sleep. Carla was more than satisfied now that she had the younger woman in her arms, revelling in the relaxation she seemed to be able to provide her with. She seemed to meld into her under the gentle administrations of her fingertips. Leaning down, she pressed a tender kiss to the side of Michelle's head, lingering by her ear.

"You terrified me today, 'Chelle," She whispered, stroking down her cheek as Michelle manoeuvred herself round to face her friend. "You didn't think for one second that any of your family would see you out on the street? I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you."

"You've already done so much for me, Carla."

"And I'll carry on until I see you smiling again.

Michelle touched her forehead to Carla's, she could feel the warmth of her breath against her lip.

"You keep running around, looking after me but you're stubborn as hell when I try to take care of you. I really wish you'd let me."

Carla tucked a strand of Michelle's hair behind her ear. Seeing the younger woman collapse had been heart stopping, fear still burned down her neck every time she replayed the image in her mind. No matter what happened from this day forward, she knew she couldn't ever lose Michelle. The mere thought of it cause her heart to seize painfully in her chest. Having this woman by her side filled her with a strength she never realised she could muster. And could she look anymore breathtaking in this moment? With concerned, hazel eyes that bore into hers, lips slightly parted as she anticipated Carla's response; waiting for her to give permission to allow Michelle to care for her in return. Tears pricked in her eyes; this woman had only ever offered her a love that seemed to be unconditional. Damaged and undeserving were things Michelle had never deemed her to be and even when Carla had been too proud to ask for help, the younger woman had always offered it, always known exactly when to do so. Even though she'd let her down, left her in tears when she'd departed for Devon, Michelle was here, gazing into her with a love she'd never once taken back.

Allowing her thumb to brush across the beautiful brunettes jawline, Carla tilted her head and leant in. Her nose brushed against Michelle's seconds before Carla capture her lips on a soft, lingering kiss. She held her face close, gently increasing the pressure of her lips, trying to convey so much of what she could barely begin to tell her.

The kiss broke but Carla didn't pull away. Instead she pressed a couple of gentle, brief ones against Michelle's inviting lips. She'd just moved in for a third when the harsh buzzer sounded through the apartment, causing both women to jump, nearly bumping heads. Carla thought she saw a flash of fear in Michelle's eyes.

"I'll get it. If it's him, I won't let him up."

Reluctantly pulling herself away from the younger woman, Carla went to the door to pick up the receiver, pressing it to her ear.

"Who is it?"

"Carla? It's Ali. Is it okay if I come up?"

"Oh," She breathed a sigh of relief, reaching out to press the button by the phone. "Yeah, course you can." Replacing the phone, she moved into the kitchen area to switch the kettle on.

"It's Ali, do you want me to make myself scarce?"

"No, stay," Michelle breathed, her eyes brighter than they had been. Her heart was fluttering once more, however this time out of the complete opposite of fear. Tearing her eyes from the older woman only when the flat door opened, she offered her son a bright smile. He looked pleased as he greeted them both.

"You look loads better!" Ali smiled, thanking Carla who'd offered to make him a drink as he'd walked over the the sofa. "I'm glad to see you took my advice," He modded, gesturing the the plates on the coffee table that they'd get to clean. "How're you feeling?"

"I feel fine, now. I felt unwell earlier but I'm pretty much back to normal now." Michelle informed him, shuffling back to give him a space to sit.

"That was to be expected, intense levels of stress like that will take a toll, physically." Allowing his bag to slide from his shoulder, he unzipped it and pulled out a bundle of leaflets.

"Carla, would you mind sitting down with us too? There is something I wanted to speak about to both of you." Ali looked slightly shifty, a little unsure of how they'd react to what he was going to tell them. He was determined, however, to try. Waiting until the other woman had taken a seat in the chair opposite, he spread out the leaflets he'd brought with him. "So I know that recently, you've all been through hell. I know that even before...Before Aiden, you'd not exactly had an easy ride of things."

"Might be the understatement of the century," Carla agreed, edging further forward on her seat so she could try to peek at a few of the titles. "' _Dealing with grief'_?" She frowned, casting her eyes over the rest of the leaflets.

"Look, just hear me out for a second. This one here is about grief. The others..." He gestured to them in turn as he spoke. "Well, this one is about stress and anxiety, there's one here for depression and there's one about managing mental health in general. It's got a lot of good advice and numbers." He turned to Michelle and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm not trying to diagnose you or force you to do anything, I'm just worried about you. About all of you, really. Especially after today."

"Ali, this is really thoughtful of you and I promise you I am looking after myself." Michelle began, unsure of whether she'd be ready to speak to anyone and knowing almost for certain that Carla wouldn't be on board. Her son gave an understanding nod and held up his hand.

"I'm not going to nag you to make an appointment to speak to someone. I just want you to read through these. They give basic advice on how to deal with stress and recognise any warning signs which need medical attention. It might be good to get an insight, not just for yourself but for your friends and family too." The same, shy look that he'd had in his eyes when he'd last spoke to Michelle was back. "It would also give me peace of mind, knowing that... That you and the rest of my family were safe."

"Well I've learned the hard way from going against a Doctors advice," Carla shrugged, reaching over to pick up a leaflet at random. Though she was mainly doing it to please Ali, she was touched at the thought behind his actions and she knew that such concern on his part would do wonders in lifting Michelle's spirits; and she was going to favour anything that made the other woman happy. A pleased smile spread across his lips at the usually stubborn woman's compliance.

"If you have any questions, concerns or want more details, I'd like to think that you'd come and talk to me. I can recommend the best course of action and walk you through the process." He turned back to Michelle, who looked as though she was seconds away from throwing her arms around him. "You've got my number, if you need to talk to me... And I don't mean as a professional. I mean, as...As your son. Your family. As someone who cares about you. Day or night, yeah?"

Tears spilled over Michelle's cheeks as she grasped Ali's hands. She couldn't stop a small sob escaping when he gave them a squeeze before wrapping her up in a tentative hug, rubbing his hand over her back.

"Thank you," She whispered tearfully, her fingertips loosely clinging onto his biceps even after they'd broke apart. "For everything. I love you."

Ali smiled down at her and pressed a chaste kiss against her forehead. "I love you, too." He allowed Michelle to give him a second hug, before standing up. "I'm really sorry for the brief visit, I've got a lot of work to do tonight. But... I was wondering if you'd want to have lunch together tomorrow?"

"I'd love to!" Michelle grinned, standing up with him so she could see him out. "Text me?"

"I will. You take care of yourself, okay? And you, Carla." He added, waving his hand at her. She rolled her eyes playfully and saluted him once more.

"You have my word, Doctor Neeson."

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Ali exclaimed, who had just been heading out of the door. Opening his bag again, he pulled out a box of chocolates and handed them to Michelle. "I was also meant to say 'Get well soon',"

"Aww, thank you darling, you didn't have to do that," The grin that spread across Michelle face was infectious.

"I wanted to. I'll see you tomorrow," With another quick kiss on the cheek, Ali was out of the flat and heading down the corridor.

Once the door was closed and locked, Michelle turned to Carla, her eyes shining with tears of joy.

"He's really coming around to me, isn't he?"

Getting up from her seat, the older brunette walked towards the tearful woman and wrapped her up in a tight hug, giving her a firm squeeze. "Of course he is, how could he not love you, eh? I'm so happy for you, 'Chelle."

"I can't believe how thoughtful he is," Michelle murmured, allowing Carla to gently wipe across her cheeks. She cupped them in her hands once she had, so that soft hazel eyes met dazzling green.

"Just like his mum,"

"Ryan's coming to visit, too. He couldn't cancel the flights without losing the money." She bit her lip, hoping that there wouldn't be any conflict between the two men.

"Then I think we should arrange to get the whole family together, we can go somewhere nice in town. I think it'll do us all the world of good."

" _You_ do _me_ a world of good, Carla," Michelle murmured, resting her chin against the other woman's shoulder. "That's a lovely idea,"

Carla wound her hand in silky locks of hair, twirling strands around her fingertips. "Come on, crack open your sick-bed choccies and I'll even let you choose the film this time." The older woman gathered up the plates they had used and cleared them to the kitchen, deciding that the washing up could most definitely wait.

"We'll keep our promise to Ali and look through these," Carla gestured to the leaflets that she had began to stack into a neat pile. "But we'll do it tomorrow, okay? We've had enough upset tonight and we want to have a clear head. Then anything we decide, you can discuss with him at lunch tomorrow."

Once again, Michelle was finding it difficult to concentrate on the film. Her limbs were tangled with Carla's, her head against her chest, which she felt vibrate when the older woman released a deep chuckle at the screen in front of them. They'd hacked into almost half of the chocolates together, the box forgotten at the bottom of the bed.

"Like he'd get away with that!" Carla commented, pointing at the screen in disbelief. "Oh this wont end well, what a plonker!"

"Hmm?" Michelle broke out of her trance-like state. It was too easy to lay and soak up the other woman's presence. She hadn't realised just how secure she felt when Carla was by her side. Michelle couldn't help but admire her; now she'd put down her troubles for the night, her face seemed so youthful. She was watching the way her eyes lit up when she laughed, how the glow of the screen was reflecting in them, bringing out the deep emerald tones, the natural curl of her eyelashes...

"You chose this film and you're not even paying attention, are you tired?"

"No. Well, I am tired, but that's not why I'm not paying attention. You were distracting me."

"By doing what?" Carla laughed, confused at Michelle admission. She'd been watching the film, she'd hardly been reciting the National Anthem whilst standing on her head.

"By being perfect."

The older woman spluttered, half flattered, half amused. The coy smile on Michelle's face confirmed the sincerity of her words.

"It would take the rest of my life to finish the list of reasons as to why that isn't tr-"

Michelle had stopped Carla's mouth with her own, pulling her into a loaded kiss. She could taste rich, dark chocolate on her lips, which only made her crave more. Carla began to respond, her hand tangling in the younger woman's hair and parted her mouth, her tongue tasting the rich sweetness and something else that was uniquely Michelle. She felt an arm slide around her waist, a hand resting on her cheek to bring her closer as the two continued their passionate exchange.

It was only when the lack of oxygen became dangerous that they broke away from one another, though they didn't go far. Their foreheads touched and Carla rubbed her nose affectionately against Michelle's. Both women were slightly breathless.

"I need to send a message to Roy."

"Okay I'm kind of concerned that he is on your mind right now."

"I need to tell him I won't be returning home tonight."

Michelle's eyes grew wide and Carla brought a reassuring hand to her cheek.

"I just want to hold you, 'Chelle. After today, I just want you close to me."

"I want you to stay, too," Michelle whispered, nuzzling into the crook of her neck. It had been an upsetting, tiring day for the both of them. Although she felt happier now, events had definitely taken their toll. Waiting until Carla had finished her text, Michelle slid her arm across her stomach and wrapped it around her waist, brushing her calf against the other woman's, relishing in the intimate comfort of Carla's smooth skin against her own.

"I meant it, you know?" She murmured, causing the older woman to shiver slightly as her lips grazed against her neck. "When I said you were perfect."

It was amazing to Carla, that someone could believe that about her when all she saw in her own reflection was a woman so incredibly flawed. It didn't make sense that a heart as selfless and beautiful as Michelle's had accepted her. She couldn't form the words to tell the astonishing woman in front of her just how much her statement had meant to her. Or maybe she was too afraid to say them.

Instead, she tipped Michelle's chin and held her gaze, allowing herself a brief moment to become mesmerised by the sincerity in her eyes, before pulling her down to capture her lips in another tantalising kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

**[ Tw: Strong violence/ violent assault. ]**

"Ryan for God sake, be careful!" Michelle chastised, watching her drunken son stumble over his suitcase. He looked up at her from where he was sprawled on the carpet, a wide grin plastered on his face.

"The floor jumped up and hit me in the face!" He slurred, using the back of the sofa to pull himself to his feet.

"That won't be the only thing if you don't behave yourself. Honestly, you were on the plane less than three hours. Look at the state of you!" Michelle went to pick his suitcase from the floor and move it from his path, standing it safely against the wall.

"I made some friends, we decided to have a bit of a party." Ryan shrugged, wondering into the kitchen. "Shall we continue it here? You got any beers?"

"Go through to the spare room and sleep it off. I've got a lunch to go to." She pointed to the door on his right, fixing him with a stern look that even at the age of twenty-six, he knew he couldn't argue against.

"Okay, okay. I forgot how bossy you were." Rolling his eyes, he made his way over to the bedroom, though did stop to kiss her cheek as he bypassed. "For what it's worth, I am sorry about you and Robert. He was way too good for... No wait, that's the wrong way around. You know what I mean. He's an idiot and you're lovely. Lovely and bossy."

"Oh get gone." Michelle chuckled, lightly tapping his shoulder before picking up her bag. Checking the watch on her wrist, she bit her lip as she realised she was going to be late for dinner with Ali. Making sure she had her phone with her, she grabbed her keys on the way out marched down the corridor. Despite everything, knowing that she had one son home for a few days and was heading for lunch with the other, she felt elevated. Having her family close to her always brought her the biggest comfort.

"Where are you going in such a big rush?" Michelle whipped around, her heart fluttering slightly; the smooth, rich voice wrapping itself around her ears, bringing a warmth to her like the first sip of coffee on a cold morning. Carla was walking towards her, the breeze catching in her lightly curled hair. She was wearing fitted black skirt with a red chiffon shirt tucked into it, a chunky belt clinching her waist. Somehow, she was managing to walk effortlessly across the cobbles in spiked stiletto boots. Michelle swallowed hard. Her mouth felt dry, suddenly. She'd woken that morning to an empty bed, but Carla had left a note on her pillow, on top of the box of chocolates from the night before. It seemed she'd had a meeting early that morning and from the smug smirk on her face, it had gone rather well. Although, in that get up, Michelle wondered how hard it would have been to say no to the woman.

"How did you appointment go?" She asked, her voice wavering slightly, leaving her feeling confused. It was just Carla. They'd conversed a thousand times.

"Well he signed the dotted line. He couldn't say no to me after my pitch."

"Like he'd have even contemplated saying no to you."

Carla suddenly grabbed hold of Michelle's hand and pulled her into the alley they were passing, her back flush against the wall as she peered around the corner cautiously.

"What the hell? Have you gone mad?"

"Sorry, sorry, he was walking to his car. The client. I don't want him to see me. He was trying his hardest to get me to have dinner with him and I made out I had another meeting to get to; I couldn't endure another hour of his atrocious chat up lines!"

The fire that erupted in Michelle's stomach at Carla's words surprised her. It licked at her chest and made her jaw clench. Anger boiled her blood and then froze it as she thought about some scuzzy, seedy businessman trying to chat her up. She knew how it was, she'd worked there herself, but she hated it all the same.

"Earth calling Michelle Connor! Where did you go just then? You looked livid!" Carla chuckled, eyeing her friend in wonder.

"Sorry, I just, uh, well I have lunch with Ali, I'm just worried about being late."

"Oh, of course. Don't let me keep you darlin', I could do with going to the bank anyway." Carla frowned slightly and Michelle's odd behaviour. She reached down for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Sure you're alright?"

Michelle's hand squeezed back automatically, the contact seemed to shake her back to her senses.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. What're your plans for this evening?"

"Well Roy wants to watch a _fascinating_ documentary on Sloths so..." She rolled her eyes, but her tone was light. He might have had questionable tastes in television programmes but Roy was like a father to her. She had started to find coming home to him sat putting together an intricate train set almost endearing.

"Do you want to come over for dinner?" Michelle bit her lip, a coy smile adorning her lips. The nerves were back and she wasn't sure why, meals with Carla were at the very least a weekly occurrence. "Six o'clock? I'm not going to be cooking anything fancy but Ryan's home and I thought it might be nice to have you join us."

"You or the sloths, that's a tough choice." The other woman teased, arching her brow. Bringing her hands on front of her, she took the other woman's in her own once more, this time lacing their fingers together. Green eyes flickered up to meet hazel and then back down to focus on the other woman's lips. She bit her own and slowly brought her gaze to Michelle's once more. The younger woman's cheeks coloured and a bashful smile spread across her lips.

"What?"

"You just look...really beautiful."

Carla felt her own face grow hot. Gently tugging Michelle closer, she leant in until they were nose to nose. She nuzzled them together, which caused the other woman to release a girlish giggle. The sound set Carla off too; they stood together, faces inches apart, laughing at the bizarre situation that neither of them had expected to be in.

They inched closer to one another, Carla releasing one of Michelle's hands so she could brush her fingers through the younger woman's hair as their lips connected. Somehow, she'd found herself craving these kisses like a glass of Merlot at the end of a hard day. Maybe it's because the touch of Michelle's lips against her own gave her the same dizzying exhilaration.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?"

The two women broke apart so fast that Carla almost bumped her head against the wall. Evidently, he'd been out for a morning run. His iPod was hanging off his shirt, which was damp with sweat, one earphone hanging down his chest. Robert was gaping at Michelle and Carla as though he had never seen them before.

Stricken, the younger brunette opened her mouth, but found she had no words. Beside her, she heard the other woman mutter a dread-filled 'Oh, God' under her breath.

"Is this why you called off our wedding?" He demanded, wrenching the other small speaker from his ear and stuffing the music device into his pocket. "Answer me!"

But Michelle seemed incapable of answering. With some difficulty, Carla extracted her hand out of the other woman's terrified, vice like grip and held it up to Robert in a placating manner.

"No, it wasn't. This was my fault, I... I kissed her." Admitting this out loud to another person felt less strange than she'd expected, but her heart was still hammering rapidly against her chest. She couldn't even contemplate what this meant and hoped to the heavens that Robert wouldn't ask. Carla didn't know, they'd not discussed it. She'd told Michelle to leave it and then proceeded to grab hold of her every chance she got. _Don't play games with her, she means too much._ The voice in Carla's head was trying to reprimand her, but the factory owner wasn't playing. There had been no plans, no tactics, no ulterior motive. She certainly hadn't been following any rules; it seemed she'd been following her heart and it was only now that her head was trying to catch them up.

"Oh well that's alright then. Please, continue to run your hands all over my fiancée." His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"We're not together!" Michelle cried, speaking out for the first time. Thankfully she didn't look like she was about to pass out this time, but the fear was still plainly plastered across her face. It made Carla's fingertips twitch, she was itching to reach out and take hold of the younger woman, to apologise to her, comfort her, anything to smooth the stress from her features.

"Who, me and you or you and _her?_ "

"I just told you it wasn't her fault!"

"Yeah, she really looked like she was hating every second of that. What is it with you and people who are already spoken for? Is this some kind of belated revenge plot, ruin my wedding because I ruined yours?"

"You and I are not together, Robert!" Michelle fumed, her eyes alight with anger. Carla smirked inwardly, this was the woman she knew. Fiesty and beautiful, not about to let anyone intimidate her. "And it has nothing to do with Carla and everything to do with your gambling addiction, your steroid addiction, the risks you take to your health and the business, leaving me to pick up the pieces! I deserve better."

It took everything in Carla not to start applauding. Her heart swelled with pride and she reached out to squeeze Michelle's shoulder.

"Robert, I am sorry this hasn't worked out. I really am. If you want to talk, we can, we can talk right now. But I've made up my mind." The younger brunette finished in an exhausted sigh. It wasn't like she had wanted things to come to this, but she wasn't in love with the man in front of her anymore. He had changed, she had changed. There were other things she had to think about now. Things she'd been avoiding.

"Talk to you?" He scoffed, taking care to barge into Carla's shoulder as he stormed by; she had to stop Michelle from leaping at him. "I don't want to be within spitting distance of you or that parasite. Your so called 'best friend'."

They were frozen for a moment, watching at he took off so fast, Michelle could practically see the smoke at his heels. Dread weighed down her whole body, leaving her seemingly glued to the cobbles. Would he tell anyone?

"'Chelle I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry this is completely my fault." Carla's eyes sparkled with tears and she desperately wanted to hug the other woman, though was suddenly unsure she'd be welcome to.

"It's not," She whispered, bringing her hand up to lightly cup Carla's face, brushing her thumb against her cheek bone. "I'm sorry for what he did, he didn't hurt you did he?" Her other hand came down to lightly stroke over Carla's arm, relieved when the older woman shook her head. "Right, you get off to the bank, I'll go for lunch with Ali and then we'll meet at the flat in a couple of hours? I think we need to talk, none of us can go on like this."

Carla swallowed, feeling a weight settle in the pit of her stomach. Michelle was right, they did need to talk, but what did that mean for their friendship now? Could it even be called a friendship anymore? Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a deep, steadying breath before nodding, blinking away her tears.

"Don't look so worried," Michelle reassured her, causing her spirit to suddenly soar as a soft, somewhat lingered kiss was placed on her cheek. "Crack a smile, it won't break your face," She teased lightly and Carla looked up in time to see her flash her a playful wink.

Michelle was spreading out a beautiful bouquet of chrysanthemums into a crystal vase. A mesmerising contrast of deep pink, purple and yellow, were muted by the prettiest white roses that had been strewn into the mix. Adding water to reach the stems, she placed the flowers on the table and stood back, admiring them with a grin on her face.

They'd been a very unexpected gift from Ali, who had greeted her in the Rovers with them.

"Hey, Ry, are you awake?" She called, frowning when she was met with silence. The spare room door was open and she peered into it. The bed was empty, it didn't surprised her that he hadn't bothered to remake it. Checking to see if he had taken the spare key she'd informed him about confirmed her suspicions, he'd obviously got bored of being confined within the flat walls. Hoping that he hadn't gone out on another bender, she decided that she'd have a bath before Carla arrived. She wanted to be as relaxed as possible; the looming difficulty of the conversation ahead already hovered over her in a heavy cloud, threatening to spill.

The sound of a key in the door brought a sense of relief: he couldn't have gone out and got himself bladdered, he wouldn't have been back this early otherwise.

"Where did you get t-"

Robert was standing in the doorway. He _did_ look drunk.

"Ah, nice." He slurred, gesturing to the flowers on the table. "Is that why you took off with her? Did I not buy you enough flowers?"

"They're from my son."

"Of course they are." It was clear he didn't believe a word of it and Michelle didn't want to waste her breath trying to convince him otherwise. "I take it you were expecting her."

"No, Ryan came home yesterday." She replied simply, fluffing up her flowers once more just for the excuse to turn her back to him.

The man merely grunted in response and made his way over to their once shared bedroom. "I'm picking up some of my stuff. I want you out of here within the next two weeks, though." She heard a crash and Robert swore loudly. It sounded like he'd knocked something over.

"How much have you had to drink?"

"Not nearly enough."

Rolling her eyes, Michelle made her way into the kitchen, deciding to look at what she could make for Ryan and Carla that evening. She supposed she could always text Ryan and ask him to pick up a few bits for her on his way home.

The fridge door suddenly slammed shut with such force that she barely had time to get out of the way, her fingers just about surviving getting crushed.

"What is wrong with you?" Michelle cried, cradling her hand against herself. Jaw set, eyes dark with fury and his eyes slightly bloodshot, Rob was shaking in front of her, his hands trembling. He was holding a note in his hands.

" _Good morning, beautiful"_ Flecks of spit left the corners of his lips as he spat the words at her, continuing to read. " _I've got a meeting first thing. I didn't want to wake you, I thought you'd be tired after_ last night" He almost gagged on the words, his features contorted in disgust. " _I'll text you later. Love, Carla."_

Michelle's blood turned to ice.

"That's not what it sounds like." She whispered, taking a few steps back from the furious chef in front of her.

"Last night? _You had her in our bed last night!"_ He slammed his fist onto the counter with such a force that the skin on his knuckles split.

"Nothing happened! She was talking about the panic attack I had- the one caused by you!"

Sweat was pouring from his muscled frame as he advanced on her.

"What have you taken?" Terror shook her voice, it was barely a whisper.

" _DON'T YOU DARE TAKE THE MORAL FUCKING HIGH GROUND WITH ME!"_ Robert had grabbed hold of the vase on the table, launching it to the other side of the room. It covered the rug in shards of crystal as it shattered fantastically, leaving water dripping down the wall. Michelle brought her hands up to cover her face, unable to stop a sob clawing it's way to her throat.

"Stop it, Robert! I'm telling you nothing happened!"

But her cries fell of deaf ears. He aimed a kick at one of the kitchen chairs, breaking the leg and causing it to topple to the floor. Backing herself into a corner, tears streamed down her cheeks as she watched him rampage through his home, pulling ornaments down from shelves, knocking the tv off it's stand. An actual scream of rage left his mouth when he picked up the photo of Michelle and Carla that stood on the mantle, it followed the vase of flowers, the wooden frame splintering.

"Stop, please stop!" Michelle begged, moving from the corner to the middle of the living room, her hands held up in front of her. "I swear to you I haven't slept with Carla!"

It seemed he was beyond reason, he picked up a other photo and when the light from the window hit the glass, she saw Aiden's face smiling up at the camera.

"No, Rob, _NO!"_ With little consideration, she flung herself at the man who towered over her, attempting to wrench the picture from his grip.

It was a second's decision on both their parts. Throwing his arm out to hold the woman off of him, his hard fist connected with her mouth. She screamed as she felt herself knocked off her feet, catching her cheek on the corner of the coffee table.

Rob watched it happen in slow motion, his eyes wide with shock as the young woman fell to the floor, blood trickling down her chin.

Voices came from behind the door and time stood still.

" _Thanks for the chips, you know you're my favourite Aunt don't you?"_

" _Well I'd feel flattered, but I'm your only Aunt. Unless Maria-"_

" _Oh no, Maria is no relation of mine"_ Ryan smirked at Carla, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. She tapped the top of his head.

" _Behave yourself! You're vile!"_

There was the sound of the key in the lock as the duo spilled through the doorway. Instantly, they froze. The bag of chips Ryan was holding spilled out onto the floor.

Rob was statue still, one hand still holding the picture, his other arm outstretched, hand still curled into the fist that had knocked Michelle to the floor.

Carla cried out, bile rising to her throat as her boots crunched over broken glass.

"'Chelle? Oh my god, what have you done to her? What have you done?!" Ignoring the pain as she knelt on the shard littered rug, she gently shook Michelle's shoulder, letting out a sob of relief when she stirred. "Oh thank God," She whispered, tears splashing down her front, letting out another sob when the younger woman's bruised face came into view.

"I'll kill you." Carla growled, her eyes flashing dangerously as she forced herself to her feet, the look on her face venomous. "I'm going to _kill you!_ " Throwing the entirety of her weight at Robert, she clawed at his face, the other hand trying to hit every inch of him she could reach, she wanted to cause him so much pain.

"Carla, no!" Michelle's voice was weak, but she was terrified for her friend. It was Ryan who suddenly sprang into action, catching his Aunt around the waist and pulling her off Robert. His form was now limp, he hadn't even tried to defend himself from Carla's sudden onslaught. Aiden's photo had fallen from his hands, he was looking at them as though they weren't his own.

"I didn't... I didn't mean to..." He was panting heavily, though his breath was well and truly knocked out of him when Ryan delivered a punch to his nose with a resounding crack.

"Don't you come near my mum again."

Rob bolted, a fountain of red streaming down his front, leaving Ryan to slam and lock the door behind him as Carla fell to Michelle's side once more. The younger woman was trembling, her bottom lip split, the area below her eye already swelling alarmingly, causing her a slight squint.

"Ryan call the police." The older woman instructed, carefully placing Michelle's arm around her shoulder so that she could pull her onto the sofa.

"No, don't. Don't call them." Michelle breathed, wincing slightly as her tears stung her lip.

"Look at the state of you, mum! He could have killed you!" Adrenaline was still coursing through his veins, his own hand bruised from breaking Roberts nose.

"Please, please I don't want you to call them. I just- I just want-" Unable to finish her sentence, she dissolved into tears, allowing herself to fall into Carla's waiting arms.

"I'm here, I'm here," The other woman soothed, her fingers combing lightly through Michelle's hair and she dropped a kiss to the top of her head, wetting silky locks with her own tears. "I've got you,"

Carla felt the sofa dip down next to her and found Ryan pressing a bag of ice, wrapped in a towel, into her lap. Thanking him, she reluctantly pulled back from Michelle, though brought her hand up to cup her cheek.

"Let me look," She whispered, biting the inside of her mouth to stop a pained sob escaping. As gently as she could, she touched the towel to her friends swollen skin, her fingertips resting tenderly on the younger woman's jawline. Michelle winced and flinched away from the ice.

"Sorry, I'm sorry," Carla was crying again, she couldn't help it. Michelle must have been so scared and she hadn't been there to protect her.

"Why don't you take mum to get cleaned up and I can start tidying?" Ryan suggested, glancing around the ruined flat in dismay. He wasn't even sure if he remembered how to work the vacuum, but he needed to do something useful. Anything to stop him scouring the streets for that waste of space and finishing the job.

"Is that okay 'Chelle?"

With a nod, Michelle allowed herself to be helped from the sofa, Carla's arm securely around her side as she lead her through the bedroom and into the bathroom. The younger woman still looked dazed, Carla noticed, biting her lip worriedly while coaxing her down to sit on the edge of the bath.

"Maybe I should phone Ali," The older woman suggested, beginning to fill the sink with warm water. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

Michelle shook her head, screwing her eyes up and the dull throbbing in her cheek. Cautiously, she brought her fingertips up to press against her skin, letting out a quiet groan. Her cheek felt twice the usual size.

"Here, let me..." Carla murmured, carefully tipping Michelle's chin, bringing her face into the light. Trying to keep her expression neutral, she brought the washcloth up to the younger woman's face and gently dabbed it around her mouth, wiping away the blood that had dried there. Next, she tore open the packaging of an anti-septic wipe from the first aid kit that had been in the bathroom cabinet. "I'm sorry, this might sting."

As soon as the material touched the cut on Michelle's lip, a pained hum left her lips and she had to fight the urge not to pull away. Carla let her thumb brush over the younger brunettes uninjured cheekbone comfortingly.

"Almost done, darlin'" She soothed, letting out a gentle sigh of relief when she saw that the cut on her mouth didn't look serious enough to need medical attention. Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, she held Michelle's face for a few seconds longer once she had finished, touching her lips to her forehead.

"Why?" The question was muttered softly against her skin. "Is it because I kissed you?"

"He came back for his things," Her friend uttered robotically, her eyes glassy and unfocused. Then, without thinking, continued. "He found that note and assumed the worst."

Horrified, Carla jumped back, her hands covering her mouth.

"Oh, God."

Realising exactly what she'd said, Michelle blinked and shook her head, trying to pull Carla's hands from her face and into her own.

"No. No, Carla. It wasn't your fault, don't you dare."

"It was, it was my fault! I kissed you and I left that note. You're hurt because of me." The older woman was stricken, she looked sickened with herself, her shoulders were trembling.

"It was no one's fault but his!" Michelle jumped up and tried to pull Carla towards her once more, but she backed away, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Carla, he was on something and he was drunk. He didn't even mean to hit me, I got in the way-"

"In the way of his fist?" The other woman almost scoffed, although she was angry with herself, it was nothing for how she felt towards Michelle's ex fiancé.

"He was about to throw Aiden's photo, I tried to stop him but he was in a blind rage. I've never seen him like that before. He wasn't himself."

"Don't stick up for him. He- Michelle- he could have killed you. Whether that was his intention or not. I can't lose you. I can't. I _won't."_

Finally, she'd allowed herself to step closer to the other woman and Michelle took solace in being able to slide her arms around Carla's small frame, mentally noting once more how slender she'd become. She took in the older brunettes features, the pained furrow of her brow, her inability to meet Michelle's eyes with her own.

"It wasn't your fault. Carla, look at me." With some reluctance, she dragged her eyes up Michelle's face, unable to stop them filling once more when she was reacquainted with the injuries that marred the beautiful woman in front of her.

"If I'd have just kept my stupid, selfish hands to myself." She croaked, her voice cracking.

"I wanted that kiss, too." Michelle brought her hands up to rest either side of Carla's neck, using her thumbs to graze the woman's sculpted jawline. They were silent for a moment, automatically moving to touch their foreheads together, relishing in the comfort of their close proximity. For a moment, they basked in contentment, Michelle's breath warming Carla's skin, reassuring her that she was still there. She hadn't lost her.

It was the sound of Ryan cursing and the roar of the vacuum that cause them both to jump, their peaceful silence interrupted.

"I bet he breaks it." Michelle let out a short laugh, the sound feeling alien in her throat.

"I'll go and supervise in a second."Carla assured her, knowing that this would result in her having to take over the clear up. "Let me run you a bath and get you some painkillers first?"

Reluctantly, she let the younger woman go, fighting every instinct in her body which screamed at her to never allow Michelle to leave her arms again. Opening the bathroom cabinet once more and seized a small blister pack. The rumbling sound of water hitting porcelain assaulted their ears as she turned the taps on, squeezing a generous amount of rose scented bubble bath into the tub. When she turned back around, Michelle wasn't even in the room.

"'Chelle?" She knew there was no rational reason for the panic in her voice as she called out to her friend, but her nerves were wrought. "'Chelle!"

"I'm here?" She reappeared almost instantly, bundled up in a fluffy dressing gown, then bundled up in Carla's arms as she threw them around her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Michelle allowed the other woman to pull her closer, feeling herself being rocked in her arms. "Carla?"

"Every time I let you go, you get hurt." She breathed, her fingertips clinging to the soft material that enveloped her best friend. "Can I stay here tonight?"

"Of course you can," Michelle assured her, giving her arms a gentle squeeze, though her face suddenly fell. "I was going to cook for us all."

"I'll cook. Or Ryan. Don't worry about that."

"Ryan?" Michelle raised her eyebrow, her lip protesting as a slight smile spread across them. "Only if we want the flat burning to the ground, next. You're really not going to let me out of your sight tonight, are you?"

"Not a chance, darlin'"

Glancing up at the older brunette, her heart fluttered at the look of determination in her eyes, softened only by the unwavering care she had for her.

"Well I might need you to look away just for a second," Michelle whispered, glancing down at her attire and then over to the bath, which was now brimming with sweet smelling bubbles that her body suddenly ached to be submerged in.

"Oh, sorry," Carla blushed, turning her back and leaning against the doorframe, allowing her Michelle privacy as she slid her dressing gown from her frame and climbed into the water.

 **[Thank you for reading. I actually at one point considered taking this story down the Domestic Violence route, after researching the psychological effects of steroids. I thought it would have been an interesting route to portray, however I'm not sure I feel confident enough to have done it justice. I know it's a serious issue and could be a huge trigger, so I'd want to do a lot of research into how people often react to DV as well as keeping true to the characters. It's a route I may consider for another story- I suppose this is kind of a tester chapter. I struggled with it somewhat and am quite nervous about it. Let me know what you think! X Big shout out to Han aka TheLyricsAreMyStory, whose story inspired me to start writing Carchelle once more and a big thanks to Shell who encouraged me to go with what felt right!]**


	6. Chapter 6

**[Tw; very brief mention of Carla's past traumas, including sexual violence]**

A small, pained whimper sounded through the quiet apartment. It was pitch black, a small crack in the curtains showing a sliver of navy sky. The somewhat soothing sound of birds cheeping and twittering emphasised the calm atmosphere of the night; it was barely dawn. It became apparently why the woman had been disturbed from sleep as soon as her mind regained conscious thought. Michelle had obviously been sleeping on her injured cheek. Her face was throbbing hotly, pain pulsating from her head and radiating down to her teeth. Gingerly, she opened and closed her mouth, testing out the movement; hissing at the sharp twinge this caused.

Slowly, she wriggled free from the duvet and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, the fluffy carpet brushing her toes as she got to her feet. Movement from the other side of the bed caught her attention and she froze, hoping she hadn't roused the other woman, but Carla merely shuffled in her sleep, moving closer to the middle of the bed and curling her arm around the pillow Michelle had been using. The younger woman watched her for a moment longer, taking in how peaceful Carla looked. Her features were smooth, forehead no longer creased with worry, plump lips slightly parted; her body rising and falling gently with every drawn out breath. A particularly painful throb reminded her why she'd got up in the first place.

Creeping over to the bedroom door, she inched it open, not wanting the hinges to creak and disturb her sleeping friend. A blue light flickered, reflecting off the walls as she stepped into the living room. Ryan was sprawled out on the sofa, his gaze on the screen in front of him, though his eyes were bleary and unfocused.

"Ry?" She whispered, glancing up at the clock to see it was almost four thirty in the morning. "What're you doing up?"

He jumped slightly at the sound of her voice, sucking in a sharp breath through his teeth as he caught sight of her face.

"Does it look that bad?" Michelle bit her lip, wincing as her teeth dug into the wound she'd forgotten was there.

"It's... not great, mum," Ryan mumbled, gazing sympathetically at her face. "Do you want me to get you something?"

Unable to answer, she picked her way through the living room, her heart thudding as she neared the mirror. Taking a deep breath, she averted her eyes from the floor to her reflection and recoiled back in horror. An angry purple bruise was splashed over her cheekbone, spreading over her eye which looked slightly bloodshot on one side. It was still swollen, giving the impression she was trying to wink. The cut on her lip was barely noticeable compared the the wreckage on her face.

"Mum?" She felt a tentative hand on her shoulder and turned to face her son, who handed her a glass of water and tipped two white pills into her hand. "That looks painful,"

"That's why I woke up," the brunette admitted, placing the painkillers on her tongue and taking a few steady gulps of water. "How come you're awake though?"

"I couldn't sleep," Ryan shrugged, moving through to the kitchen and pulling out an ice pack that had now refrozen. He wrapped it in a cloth before offering it to his mum. "Do you want anything else? You didn't eat much earlier."

Together, he and Carla had managed to make a substantial pasta bake between them, bickering companionably as they worked. Michelle had hovered in the doorway after her bath to listen to them.

" _You're cutting it up wrong! They're supposed to be cubed!" Carla had berated Ryan, who rolled his eyes and shoved the offending vegetable off the chopping board._

" _Who cares? It's going to get mashed up in your nashers anyway! And who even like courgettes? It's just Cucumbers manky old grandpa!"_

"I'm not that hungry, thank you though." It had been too painful for her to chew, and the ache in her face had made her feel nauseated. All she really wanted was for the painkillers to take effect so that she could get a couple more hours of sleep.

"Mum," Ryan started, his tone serious as he moved across to her, placing his hand on her upper arm. "Did he ever hurt you before?"

"No. I promise you, he didn't." Closing her eyes, she let out a heavy sigh, her chin resting on her sons shoulder as she was pulled into a gentle hug. Everything was such a mess.

Back in the bedroom, with Michelle's side of the bed growing cold, Carla stirred. She reached out to try and wrap her arm around Michelle, her eyes popping open when her fingertips brushed the cool cotton sheet.

"'Chelle?" She croaked, waiting for her eyes to focus properly before sitting up. Glancing over to the bathroom, she saw the light was off. "Michelle?" Scrambling to get out of bed, Carla flew to the door and pulled it open, her knees weak with relief. The younger woman was sat on the sofa with her son, holding ice to her cheek.

"She woke up for painkillers, do you want a drink making before I turn in?" Ryan offered, stifling a huge yawn. Thanking him but shaking her head, Carla walked around the back of the sofa. She watched her nephew kiss his mother's cheek and squeeze her shoulder as he passed by her to get to the spare room. Michelle still hasn't turned to face her.

"'Chelle?" Carla whispered, edging over to sit next to her, frowning as the other woman turned once more, hunched over so that long, silky hair blocked her from view.

"I look horrible," Michelle's voice trembled as she spoke, she sounded like she was trying not to cry.

"Let me see."

She shook her head.

"Michelle, let me see."

Reluctantly, she turned to face Carla, the majority of her injuries still covered by the cloth she was holding to her face. Raising her hand, the older woman covered Michelle's and carefully guided the ice pack away from her skin. She felt the breath leave her lungs as the entirety of the damage was revealed. Carla tried not to react, but her nostrils flared, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes and sickness settled in her stomach.

"Oh, darlin'" The older woman whispered, resting two fingertips on the underside of Michelle's jaw, her thumb stroking over the skin just below her ear. Her insides ached with guilt.

"It's disgusting," Michelle uttered, her frame slumping limply as she cast her eyes to the ground.

"No, _he's_ disgusting." Carla corrected, biting the inside of her cheek to keep her emotions at bay. She would not fall apart right now.

"How am I going to face the rest of the street looking like this?"

"You have nothing to be ashamed of, do you hear me? Nothing. Michelle you're still beautiful."

The younger brunette scoffed and rolled her eyes, which were glistening, reflecting too much light from the television.

"I'm damaged goods now."

"Hey." Carla's tone was suddenly deadly serious, her hand moving from her jaw to cup her uninjured cheek, the other resting at the back of her head. "You've been hurt, 'Chelle, by someone who was too stupid to realise what he had. He's the one who is damaged, not you. Don't ever say that about yourself. You're so special, so, so special."

Carla couldn't wipe the tear that had fallen down Michelle's bruised cheek, so instead leant across and delivered a soft kiss against her forehead, lingering there for a moment. "You're so loved, baby." She whispered against her skin, beginning to run her fingers through her hair. "Ryan adores you, Ali moved here to be near to you, he's completely besotted. Johnny, Kate...Aiden." Her breath hitched slightly, but she swallowed hard before continuing. "They love you, he loved you."

"And you?" Michelle breathed, her heart thumping against her chest as she drew back to look into the mossy green hues in front of her. "What am I to you?" The air thickened around them at Michelle's loaded question. Simple yet terrifying.

Carla gazed back at her, falling completely silent. Opening her mouth to answer, she found the words caught in her throat. Instead the older woman shuffled closer to her younger friend, sealing the distance between them by placing a tender kiss at the corner of her mouth, only half on her lips to avoid agitating her wounds further.

"No, stop!" Michelle pushed the older brunette away and leapt to her feet, pacing around the living room. "I can't do this, what even is this? I need you to answer me."

"You were the one who started this, Michelle!" Carla cried, unable to stop the hurt creeping over her chest at the apparently rejection. She folded her arms defensively. "Why don't you tell me?"

"I don't... I mean, I was drunk when I started...Oh, Carla, no I don't mean it like that." The other woman looked stricken at the younger brunettes words, tears filling her eyes. Michelle darted over, catching hold of Carla before she could run away from the situation. "I just meant that I hadn't been think-"

"Do you want to know who you are to me?" Carla whispered; though sparkling with tears, her eyes were fixed determinedly on Michelle's.

"When I was sixteen, you were the person who sat and held me all night when one of George's scuzzy addict mates came on too strong. Between getting up every four hours so soothe your baby, you soothed me too, you let me share your bed, you let me have a safe place to sleep." The moisture that had been threatening to leak down her face had now done so, her voice wavering as Michelle reached down for her hands, lacing their fingers together. "When I was twenty-five and Paul hadn't come home all night, you held my hand and cried with me. You drove me around the whole estate, and the next one, until we eventually found him passed out in that skip with Liam." She let out a slight laugh at the memory, though at the time both women had been frantic with worry.

"When Frank..." Trailing off, Carla closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and gritting her teeth. "When he raped me and tried to take away my factory, you stood next to me every time I had to face him. You confronted him on your own in the middle of the night to try and talk sense into him. You stole that contract. You were so stupid, so brave." A small sniff told Carla that Michelle had also succumbed to tears. Clearing her throat, she opened her eyes; they confirmed her suspicions. The younger woman's face was glistening. "When I hit self destruct, when I was gambling, when I thought I'd killed those people in that fire, when I wouldn't take care of myself, you cooked for me, you went out of your way to buy the things I liked just so I'd sit down and eat something. I screamed at you, I told you to get out, I tried so hard to push you away," She was crying at this point, wondering not for the first time how on earth she deserved such a wonderful, amazing woman in her life. "You wouldn't go, 'Chelle, you stayed and you made me get help. I don't know why you would do that for me, I just know that every time I've fallen, you caught me before I hit the ground and pulled me back up again. It doesn't matter how many people have dropped in and out of my life, you've never once left."

Michelle's lower lip was trembling, her eyes fluttered shut as Carla tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'd do it all again," The younger woman choked, causing Carla to let out a small sob. She let go of Michelle's hands and went to sit on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling.

"I'm just as bad as everyone else who let you down, 'Chelle. I'm terrified of the day you come to realise that."

"What're you talking about?"

"I wasn't there for you, was I? When you needed me. With Steve, with Ruairi. I stared you in the face while you begged me not to leave and I did."

Crouching down in front of her older friend, Michelle placed calming hands on her knees, lightly rubbing a little up her thighs in a comforting manner. "You've been through so much and I understood, Carla. I did. And you're here now, so what does it matter? You've been keeping me afloat."

Carla shook her head, more tears leaking from her eyes. She could barely see the woman in front of her through them. "I've ruined everything." She stood up so abruptly she caused a draught which rippled Michelle's hair. "You've got enough on your plate and you need more sleep. I should go."

In utter bewilderment, Michelle watched Carla dart around the room, gathering her phone and stuffing it into her handbag.

"Carla we haven't finished this conversation."

"Well we can save it."

"No we can't!" Michelle let out a frustrated cry, rubbing her hand across her head in a stressful manner. There was no way she'd be able to sleep now, not when they'd just been starting to get to the bottom of their suddenly complicated friendship. "And I don't know why you think you can run away, you've just said yourself I never let you go."

"Well maybe this time you should." Carla quipped, brushing her fingertips underneath her eyes, her hands trembling violently.

"Well, tough. Because I want to know where this leaves our friendship." Crossing her arms over her chest, Michelle marched over to the doorway, blocking Carla's exit defiantly.

She was silently crying now, she knew the other woman ran when she was scared, but she was terrified too. Their friendship had changed, developed into something Michelle was terrified to acknowledge alone. Even as she looked at Carla's pale, tired face, the stony expression she wore, the anger that flashed in her eyes as a result of her panic.

"Move out of my way, Michelle."

"No."

"Please, please just move."

"You're going to waltz out of here in your pyjamas are you?" Michelle laughed sceptically, leaning her full weight against the door.

"Yes I am, now move out of my way!" Carla bellowed and although anger coloured her eyes, there was no hate. Only fear.

"Not until you tell me where this leaves our friendship." Michelle spoke calmly, gently, trying to placate the older woman.

"Maybe we don't even have one anymore."

Michelle's eyes widened in terror, blood rushing to her ears. "Don't say that. Why would you say that?" Her face crumpled and she let out a small sob. Carla stared at her as though indifferent and the younger woman suddenly felt white hot anger in her chest. "I said why would you say that?"

"Let me leave!"

Michelle stormed up to the other brunette, there was barely a hair's breadth between the two women as she spoke fiercely.

"Maybe I do deserve better if this is how you think you can speak to me."

Carla let out a cry, somewhere halfway between angered and sorrowed, now practically screaming at Michelle, her panic expelled as anger. " _I said let me leave!"_

"Not until you tell me _why!"_ Michelle bellowed back, her breath hot against the other woman's as she advanced on her. "What's so difficult? You've just stood there and acted as though I'm the most important person in the world and then turn around and thrown it back in my face! How can you say you care-"

" _Because I love you!"_

Carla's hands tangled in her own hair, gripping hard as she let out a terrified howl at her admission, curling in on herself and turning her back to Michelle. She sank to the floor on her knees, breaking down completely. Heart wrenching cries clawed their way out of her throat as she wept on the carpet.

Michelle was rooted to the spot, her ears ringing with Carla's cried confession, her mouth hanging open. Her heart was hammering so hard she felt dizzy. Trying to force a deep, calming breath, which caught in her chest due to the adrenaline her body had sent coursing through her veins, she took a shaky step towards Carla. The older woman's knuckles were white, Michelle was worried that she was in danger of tearing clumps of hair from her scalp.

At the touch of Michelle's gentle hands on her shoulders, the woman jumped and turned to face her. The whites of her eyes were pink, her teeth chattering, she looked so terrified and broken. A lump wedged itself in Michelle's throat.

"I-I'm so...s-sorry," Carla gulped, her breath escaping in panicked bursts. "Please... please don't hate me."

"Carla," The name left Michelle's lips in a sob. She threw her arms around the older woman, pulling her tight against her chest as she started to cry herself. "Oh god Carla, how could you ever think I'd hate you?" She wept, leaving kisses and tears in honey brown hair, her senses infiltrated with the floral scent of her shampoo.

Carla couldn't answer, she'd grabbed fistfuls of Michelle's pyjama top and cried harder. The relief that flooded through her was dizzying, but she was still terrified of what would happen next. She'd changed everything.

"Shh, shh," Michelle rocked them both, tears still falling thick and fast down her cheeks as she rubbed soothing circles against Carla's back. "I'm here, darling; I always will be. I promise."

They didn't know how long they sat crying together for, the floor becoming more uncomfortable as the minutes slipped by. It was almost properly light outside, Michelle could hear the rattling of bottles as the milkman's van trundled over the cobbles. She let out a short sniff of laughter, wondering who still relied on that delivery in this day and age. Carla glanced up at her, her eyes swollen and water. She had deep shadows under her eyes, pale aside from the red patches on her cheeks where tears had rubbed her skin raw.

"Oh," Michelle sighed, brushing her thumb against Carla's warm skin, shaking her head slightly as the other woman's eyes began to gloss over once more. She placed soft kisses against the sore areas of her face, feeling the heat against her lips. "Hey, no more tears," She whispered soothingly, dotting two more delicate kisses against the other woman's closed eyelids. "And no apologies," Her fingertip lightly pressed against Carla's plump lips as she opened her mouth do just that. The corners of the older woman's mouth twitched. Ignoring the twinge of pain it caused her, Michelle removed her finger and instead replaced it with her own lips, grazing them tenderly against Carla's who responded tentatively.

"I don't know about you, but I'm getting pins and needles sat on this floor." Michelle smiled, gently loosening her hold on the other woman so she could help her to her feet, before taking her hand and leasing her back towards the bedroom.

"Is this okay?" Carla still hadn't spoke even when they had gotten into bed. Michelle had instantly wrapped her arms around the brunettes slender frame and pulled her flush against her own body, guiding her head down into the crook of her neck.

"It's perfect," It was whispered, but her voice sounded hoarse and exhausted. She didn't dare believe her luck, half expecting the younger woman to kick her out of bed in disgust. Reminding herself that Michelle had kissed her first was the only way she was keeping panicked tears at bay.

"Do you know when you had that meeting, yesterday?" Michelle murmured, tracing patterns along the top of Carla's arm with her fingertips, twisting and looping over her skin. "The one where that client tried to chat you up? I was so jealous."

That pricked Carla's attention. She glanced up at Michelle, hopeful for the first time that evening. "Mr Neilson?"

"Oh, was that his name? Yeah him. I felt beyond angry when you told me he'd asked you to dinner."

"Why?" Carla let out a short bark of laughter, staring up at Michelle with a confused frown. "He's an ageing, balding buffoon with a face like a weasel and list of chat up lines he pinched from google."

"I suppose I just wished that I had that confidence, to ask you to dinner."

Carla laughed again, her breath hot against the other woman's neck. "What are you talking about? You did ask me to dinner! Maybe we should take you to the Doctors, you seem to have memory loss."

"No, I mean..." Michelle paused, a blush creeping across her skin and spreading down her neck. "The kind where I book a table and pick you up in the evening."

"Oh," Finally, Carla smiled; a pleased little grin that spread across her face as she bit her lip and nuzzled further into Michelle's neck.

"I do have feelings for you." Michelle admitted suddenly, taking a deep breath as she tried to gather her thoughts. "It's more than friendship, it's more than I ever expected."

Carla was gazing up at her, holding her breath in anticipation. Butterflies settled in her stomach, a combination of nerves and hope. She waited patiently, allowing the other woman the time she needed to voice now she felt.

"I am scared, though. You're my best friend and I don't want to lose you, I really don't know what I'd do if I did. And I know it's stupid, but I'm scared of what people would say if..." She trailed off, not sure how to put the rest of the sentence into words. "And it's so soon, I mean, I haven't loved Robert for a long time but-"

"My timing is atrocious, I know. And I know I don't have the best track record, you have every reason to doubt me." Carla bit her lip, feeling guilty about adding to Michelle's stress. "There's absolutely no pressure, 'Chelle,"

The younger woman melted into her, there was something in the way Carla said her name that caused her stomach to flip, like the pirate ship ride she'd once taken Ryan on at the fair. The poor boy had turned a nasty shade of green and cried the whole way through, but Michelle had enjoyed the way the ship swooped down, making her feel lighter than air.

"I don't doubt you at all." She assured her, reaching for her hand. "I trust you, in fact you're the only person I do trust. Completely. Can we take this slowly?"

"Does that mean-?"

Michelle brought their hands up and placed Carla's flat against her chest, her palm resting directly over the steady drum of her heartbeat.

"What are-"

"Showing you... Kiss me," The younger woman whispered, her other hand tangling gently in Carla's hair. "It's okay,

I want you to...please, kiss me."

There was no way Carla could refuse that request. Confused but more than willing to oblige, she tilted her head and caught Michelle's lips in a steady kiss, the other woman's lower lip tucked firmly between her own. Almost instantly, she skin under her palm began to pulse more noticeably, which encouraged Carla to increase the pressure. She couldn't help but let out a sigh of contentment against the kiss, enjoying the gentle brush of Michelle's tongue against her own, which sent goosebumps along her arms. So caught up in her actions, she almost forgot about why Michelle had asked her for the kiss in the first place. As they broke apart, gasping, she could feel the other woman's heartbeat thumping furiously against her hand. A thrill of happiness travelled down her spine as she realised she had caused that.

"Do you understand how you make me feel, now?"

Willing her eyes not to fill, she merely nodded and shuffled further down the bed, settling her head against Michelle's chest, resting her ear directly against her heart.

It was the most beautiful sound Carla had ever heard.


	7. Chapter 7

**[A/n: just a quick note to say thank you so much for the lovely reviews I'm being left for the story. It means so much to me to have so much support. I hope you enjoy my latest chapter!]**

"Mum?"

"Mum!"

"Carla?"

A harsh tapping assaulted her ears and Carla let out a croaked hum, burying further into the soft, warm body she was nuzzled against in attempts to block out the light and the noise.

" _Calling Michelle and Carla Connor. Please. Wake. Up!"_

A tangle of limbs, sleepy groans and then a particularly loud bang on the door that caused Carla to crack open her eyelids, rubbing her hand over her face as she gazed blearily around the room. It fell to the clock on the bedside and when she regained proper focus her eyes suddenly widened and she flew bolt up right, letting out a hissed curse under her breath.

"Flippin' 'eck!" Throwing the duvet from her legs she shot out of bed and pulled the bedroom door open, where Ryan was stood, his hand raised having been about to knock once more.

"Finally! Here," He thrust the mobile into Carla's awaiting hands and rolled his eyes, looking extremely put out. "That thing has been going off none stop for half an hour, it woke me up! And I was already up half the night thanks to you two's slanging match. What was that all about? Have you kissed and made up yet or is mum buried in the community garden?"

"What? Oh, uh, yeah that was nothing." Carla murmured, still blinking sleep from her eyes as she scrolled through her phone, letting out an agitated sigh.

"Late for something?"

"Extremely." She nodded, patting his shoulder to thank him for waking her, before turning back into the bedroom and closing the door behind her.

"You look stressed, what's up?" The commotion of the morning had roused Michelle from her sleep and she was watching Carla dash around the room, grabbing her clothes from the back of the chair.

"I've got a meeting in half an hour, a big one. Oh, I'm never going to make it. I've got to get to Roy's and change. I can't waltz in wearing yesterday's clothes!" Carla panicked, running her fingers through her hair in a distressed manner.

"Carla, calm down." Michelle chuckled, pushing herself up so she was leaning against the headboard. "Third drawer down, there's a pair of black jeans slightly too small for me, so they should fit you. And there's a full wardrobe of blouses there at your disposal." She gestured, holding her hand out towards the wardrobe at the other side of the room.

"Oh, the perks," Carla smirked, picking up Michelles hairbrush and tugging it hurriedly through any knots, before busying herself with choosing an outfit. She slung the preferred items over her arm and made her way back over to the bathroom.

"Borrow my toothbrush if you want."

"'Chelle, ew," The older woman scrunched her nose in disgust, causing Michelle's eyebrows to fly towards her hairline, looking somewhat offended.

"Excuse me? I'm sure you've had worse things in your mouth."

" _Michelle!"_

They both giggled, Carla shaking her head slightly at the younger woman's smirk before disappearing into the bathroom.

Slumping back against the pillows, Michelle closed her eyes, her brow furrowed again the persistent dull ache in her cheek. Five more minutes resting is what she needed...

"'Chelle? I've got to go darlin'," Carla ran her fingertips gently down the other woman's face, who had evidently dozed back off while she'd been getting ready. A small smile spread across her lips as Michelle's she's fluttered open.

"You look nice," Michelle yawned, wincing slightly and bringing her hand up to press delicately at her cheek. It didn't feel as swollen as it did a few hours ago. Carla's expression saddened as she sat down on the edge of the bed, her hand pushing through the younger woman's hair and settling against the back of her head.

"Well it's your wardrobe," Carla murmured, her fingertips rubbing gently against Michelle's scalp. She was wearing the black jeans that had been suggested and a black satin shirt, one less button fastened than when Michelle usually wore it.

"Who's this big meeting with? It's not another sleazeball that you're going to be schmoozing is it?" There was a slight pout across the younger woman's lips and Carla couldn't help letting out a small chuckle.

"Has someone got a touch of the green eye'd monster again?" Her voice was low and husky, it made the hair on the back of Michelle's neck stand up.

"More like the black eye'd monster at the moment, aren't I?" She sighed, looking thoroughly defeated and then apologetic. "Ignore me, I'm just feeling sorry for myself."

Carla shook her head, tipping Michelle's chin so their eyes met.

"You're no monster, 'Chelle," She murmured, leaning in to graze her lips against the other brunettes, kissing her softly.

"I was wondering when you were going to get around to this." Michelle whispered, her nose stroking against Carla's as their lips merged once more and she let out a hum of satisfaction.

"Hmm, I would quite happily do this all day," The older woman murmured, pulling Michelle closer to her. "But I've really...Mm...got...to go," She finished somewhat breathlessly, speaking between the kisses she was delivering against the other woman's lips. As though on cue, her phone rang out once more and she picked it up from the bedside table, letting out a groan. "Alya wants my blood."

Reluctantly, Michelle pulled back, her skin slightly pink, eyes bright with longing as she fixed her gaze on the other woman.

"Go on, just text me later."

With a quick, final peck on the lips, Carla promised she would before disappearing out of the bedroom.

"Ry, make sure your mum eats breakfast okay?" She called to her nephew, who was in the sofa with an overflowing bowl of cereal. He gave an affirmative nod and Carla bid him goodbye, letting herself out of the flat.

Leaning against the closed door for a moment, she caught her breath, unable to stop the wide grin spreading across her face. Their problems were far from over but she couldn't help taking comfort in the happiness that resided in her after the previous nights developments. Michelle didn't hate her. Quite the opposite judging from what she'd said last night.

There was a definite spring in her step and she wandered out of Victoria Court and set about making her way to work. If she didn't stop for a coffee, she'd just about arrive on time. She shook her head slightly. Who was she kidding? When had she ever started her morning without a coffee?

Stilettos clicked against the hard floor and Carla breezed into her factory with all the confidence in the world. She was balancing two trays of coffee on top of a box. Alya threw the office door open as soon as she'd clapped eyes on the factory boss and glared at her.

"Mr Dawson has been sitting here for the lass ten minutes." She spoke through gritted teeth, and Carla had to take a deep breath, counting mentally in order to calm herself down. Imagining tipping one of the contents of the paper cups she was holding over Alya's head seemed to do the trick.

"I am so sorry, Mr Dawson. I really hope you don't mind my lateness. It's just I wanted to pick up a selection of refreshments for you. I know how early you must have had to get up to commute into Manchester this morning and I wanted to show my appreciation." The sultry smile that spread across her lips as she made eye contact with the man in front of her, whilst flipping open the box she'd carried on to reveal a variety of bagels that she'd purchased was very much the reason that Mr Dawson waved his hand at her, dismissing her apology.

"Oh, not at all Carla. You really shouldn't have gone to all his trouble," He grinned, plucking one of the coffees from the holders and waving his fingertips over the choices in front of him.

Carla had to hold back another triumphant smirk at the thunderous look Alya was shooting in her direction.

 **IXIXIXI**

"Hey, watch where you're- Oh my god. What the hell are you doing around here?"

"I could ask you the same question. I work here." Ali stood with his arms folded, squaring up to Ryan who had just come out of the shop holding a carrier bag. He hasn't been the slightest bit interested in what, or rather who, was in front of him, having chosen instead to check the football scores on his phone.

"How's mum?" Michelle's biological son asked with interest, narrowing his eyes at the man in front of him.

" _My_ mum is just fine, you don't need to concern yourself."

Rolling his eyes, the Doctor appeared not to be phased by Ryan's clear attempt to wind him up. "I mean after the other day, how's she bearing up?"

"She's- hang on, you what? How did you know about that?" Ryan frowned, stuffing his mobile into his pocket and eyeing him with suspicion."

"I was there when it happened, I was the one who calmed her down."

"No you weren't, there was only me and Carla there. And that scumbag ex of hers."

"Are you alright in the head? You hadn't even come home!"

Both men looked at each other in confusion, opening their mouths at the same time.

"When Robert hit her-"

"When she collapsed in the street-"

"What-?"

" _What?-"_

"Robert hit my mum?!" Ali exclaimed, looking both disgusted and thoroughly enraged with this news.

" _Robert's hit Michelle?"_ They whipped around at the unwelcome intrusion; Steve had frozen in his tracks, the newspaper he was holding going limp in his hands.

Ryan stared open mouthed, looking from Ali, to Steve and Norris, who had been gawping in their direction the whole time, unnecessarily polishing the same patch on window. He let out a mournful groan.

"She's going to kill me."

" _I'm_ going to kill _him_ ," Ali announced, with a back up nod from Steve who was rolling up his paper.

"Not before I do; you'll be able to bring him back to life and kill him again."

"Look this isn't any of your business, she's nothing to do with you." Ryan snapped at a bewildered Steve, before rounding on the Doctor once more. "Or you, either, come to think of it. We've got it under control."

"Of course it's my business, she's my mum!"

"No, she's not. She's _mine._ " Ryan growled, giving the other man a rough shove. Ali stumbled back a few paces, before throwing the coffee he was holding to the floor and lunging forwards, grabbing hold of Ryan's collar with both hands.

"Let me go, before I rearrange your face."

"' _Ey!"_

Looking absolutely furious, Carla was marching towards the duo, her hair flying back in the wind as she stormed up to the tussling pair.

"What on earth are you both playing at? Scrapping in the street like a pair of hooligans! Put him down, Ali."

Somewhat reluctantly, Ali threw Ryan back against the door or the cabin, glaring menacingly at the other man, who was panting, looking completely enraged. It was Steve who then stepped between them, grasping hold of Ryan's shoulders to stop him from launching himself at the Doctor in retaliation.

"Do you really think this is what Michelle needs right now?" She snapped, eyeing the pair with disappointment. "I know you don't see eye to eye, but it's about time you both grew the hell up!"

Ali had the decency to look ashamed of himself. Straightening his collar, he smoothed down his suit jacket and straightened up, forcing his gaze to Carla's and offering her what he hoped was an apologetic grimace.

"He said Robert hit mum, is that true?"

"Why would I make something like that up you utter, utter spanner?"

"Ryan!" Carla pointed at him warningly, before her eyes widened in shock and she let out a frustrated groan. "Why have you gone shooting your mouth off? For goodness sake!"

"What did he do? Is she okay? I'm going to see her."

"She's-" Carla began, before cutting herself off and shaking her head. It hadn't escaped her notice that there were two very unwelcome participants in the conversation. Arching her back and squaring her shoulders, she took on an authoritative stance, rounding on the group in front of her as she would her staff back in Underworld.

"This is not the time or place for this discussion. You-" She pointed at Steve, who had thought it safe enough to let go of Ryan. "Get back to street Cars. Ali, get back across to the medical centre. Ryan, you're coming with me and _you-_ " Carla now rounded on Norris, who instantly tried to look disinterested in the conversation and hastily started to scrub at the window once more. "-aren't fooling anyone at all, so I suggest you get back inside pronto and keep schtum." Waiting for a moment with folded arms, she raised her eyebrows when nobody moved. Ali was staring at her in awe.

" _Get out of here. Go on!"_ She ordered, taking a threatening step forwards, her eyes flashing dangerously. It seemed no one dared disobey her and the group instantly scattered, leaving her with Ryan.

"I didn't mean to let it slip, there were crossed wires. I thought Ali knew, but he was on about her collapsing in the street or something. What's that all about?"

Carla let out a sigh, feeling somewhat stressed after a busy morning in the factory. "She had a panic attack; Robert threatened to kick her out and fire her, things got on top of her."

"He's filth."

"I know, I know," The brunette woman mumbled, slipping her arm around her nephew as they started to walk together. "Did she have breakfast?"

Ryan shook his head. "That's what I came to the shop for, we needed a few bits."

Carla took the bag from his hands and peered at the contents, raising her eyebrow sceptically. A somewhat sheepish grin spread across Ryan's face.

"Look I got bread and milk, didn't I?"

"And eight cans of beer." Rolling her eyes, she took hold of her nephews elbow and started to drag him towards her car that she'd left parked at the factory. "Right, come on you."

"Where are we going?"

"To do a real shop."

Tipping his head back, Ryan let out a groan of annoyance, reluctantly traipsing after his Aunt.

 **IXIXIXI**

Music could be heard faintly from the bottom of the corridor, but Carla wouldn't have guessed it was coming from Michelle's flat as she trudged along the hallway with Ryan, both of them ladened with shopping bags. Evidently, they hadn't been heard entering the apartment.

Clad in her lavender satin shorts and matching vest, Michelle was dancing around the living room, throwing her arms out theatrically; she was singing along to the song that was blearing from the speakers. Her hair flipped around her face as she swished around the living room, shaking her hips and filling the air with her powerful voice.

" _Can you hear me calling out your name? You know that I'm falling and I don't know what to say!"_

She was holding a hairbrush in her hands, singing into it as though she was using a microphone.

" _Oh I, I want to be with you everywhere..."_

Tossing her hair back once more, she span around and saw that she wasn't alone. Letting out a cry of shock, she dropped the brush she was holding and hastened to turn off the music, her hand over her thumping chest.

Ryan had pressed his lips together, trying not to laugh, but Carla was staring at the other woman in amazement, her teeth catching on her lower lip as a wide grin spread across her face.

"You scared the life out of me!" Michelle scolded, folding her arms across her chest somewhat huffily. Carla still wore her enticing smirk, allowing her eyes to fall to the younger woman's pyjama clad figure; she dragged her gaze up slowly, the tip of her tongue running subtly over her lower lip until she finally met wide hazel eyes. They reminded her of leaves in autumn, halfway between changing from green to brown. A brilliant blush swept across Michelle's face. The air between them seemed to buzz with electricity, until Ryan broke the silence.

"Hey, don't stop on our account! I'm sure we can get into the party swing." He grinned, picking the remote back up to switch the music on again.

"We're not in Ibiza!" Carla chuckled, catching Michelle's eye once more and throwing her an inconspicuous wink, bringing her hand up in a wave as she mouthed the word 'hi'.

Michelle returned the gesture with a shy smile, before Ryan, seemingly oblivious to the tension between the two women, took hold of his mothers hands and twirled her around, having started the music back up once more.

"Come on, Aunty Carla, get your rave on. I can just picture you jumping up and down in your designer shoes with a flashing whistle."

They all laughed, the older brunette shaking her head slightly as she dipped into the shopping bags they had placed on the counter, deciding to start on a very late brunch for the three of them.

Twice, she nearly sliced her hand, too busy gazing adoringly at Michelle, who was now dancing around the room with her son, laughing as though she didn't have a care in the world. Carla didn't want to bring up anything that would sour her good mood, she was glowing with happiness and the older woman couldn't think of anyone who deserved it more. These moments were fleeting, and as she watched the other brunette trying (and failing) to teach her son a "formal" dance, her heart swelled with affection.

Michelle was still singing along to the music between laughing and dancing; Carla had forgotten just how much talent the woman possessed. The deep, rich tones of her voice travelled in waves which wrapped themselves sensually around her ears, causing a shiver which started at her head and ended with goosebumps down her arms. Pressing her lips together, she closed her eyes momentarily, thinking about how much she wanted to kiss her. Waking up with her that morning felt like an age ago.

"If you children have quite finished acting about, I have been slaving away here making us all breakfast." Carla teased, although it was more accurate to call it lunchtime now- it had just gone one-thirty.

"Nice one, I'm starving! Just going to nip to the bathroom." Ryan grinned, disappearing from the room as Michelle finally switched off the music. Glancing over to make sure he was definitely out of the room, she was by Carla's side in an instant. She slid her arms around the other woman's slender waist from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder.

"You didn't have to do all this, Carla," Michelle whispered, her hot breath tickling the brunettes neck. "Thank you,"

"It's bacon sandwiches and fruit salad, I'm hardly Nigella Lawson,"

"Hmm... I would say equal parts Nigella and Gordon Ramsay. You know, all smooth and seductive, but then also very much a 'Bosszilla'-"

"Excuse me?" Carla let her hands rest over Michelle's, giving them an affectionate squeeze as she let out her famous dirty giggle. "You think I'm seductive?" She turned her head slightly, her cheek resting against the other woman's; she felt Michelle's skin heat up against her own. She was blushing again.

"You're only happy when you're doing one of three things; stressing, shouting and seducing." The younger brunettes arms tightened around her and she swayed them both gently. Carla closed her eyes and let out a content sigh as Michelle's soft lips grazed along her jaw, before finally she twisted around and caught her lips in a chaste kiss; one that had to end abruptly when they heard the click of the bathroom door.

"Is this safe to eat? Mum said you once tried to cook a chicken in a microwave." Ryan teased, watching the two women bustle around the kitchen to gather cutlery.

"I never!" Carla cried, rolling her eyes as they sat at the table, glaring across at Michelle who chuckled in response.

It was a companionable meal, Ryan chatting animatedly about his adventures in Ibiza, making Carla laugh and Michelle sigh in dismay. It reminded Carla almost of life before Weatherfield, before time had taken so much way from them. She almost forgot that she had a factory to go to, until her phone started to ring out in her bag.

"Duty calls? You work too hard."

"Alya's going my head in, she doesn't half grate on me."

Busy tapping out a response, she didn't realise that Ryan had asked her a question and was awaiting her answer.

"Sorry, Ry, what was that?"

"I said I'm meeting some old friends later for a catch up and it'll probably get messy. Can you stay tonight so that mum isn't on her own?"

"I'm not a puppy you know, I'm capable of being alone!" Michelle cut in, shaking her head at her son. Although, she definitely wasn't opposed to Carla staying over again.

"I don't mind staying, that's if I'm wanted?" The other brunette woman checked, smiling when Michelle's nod confirmed. "I'll nip to Roy's for a few things, then. Unless you want to have a couple of drinks in the pub? Maybe get out of the flat for a little bit..." Carla suggested tentatively, feeling it would be best for now if Michelle didn't know that Ryan had accidentally blabbed to the streets biggest busybody. Across the table, he was sat chewing his lip, looking somewhat shifty.

"Maybe not tonight," Michelle sighed, lightly brushing her hand over the bruise on her face. "I will tomorrow, okay? I just want to give it another day and then it shouldn't be painful to cover it with make up."

Carla didn't want to push it, she assured the other woman that she'd be back at around six and hesitated for a second before delivering a fast, inconspicuous kiss to her cheek.

"And be careful you." She commanded, ruffling Ryan's hair. "No getting yourself arrested."

 **IXIXIXI**

It was just after eight o'clock when Carla finally made it back to the flat.

"That woman!" She growled as she stormed into the apartment, dumping her bag unceremoniously on the table. "I can't work with her anymore, I'm going to end up throttling her!"

"What's wrong?" Michelle appeared from the bedroom, walking through to the kitchen area and gazing at the other woman with concern. Her hair was tousled, as though she had spent the whole day running her hands through it stressfully.

"She reorganised my filing system, she said her way was more efficient. It wasn't very efficient when it took me three hours to find the contacts I needed and when I finally got around to calling them, they'd gone with another supplier!" Carla fumed, her eyes flashing angrily as she recalled the way Alya had paraded around the office sanctimoniously, hinting heavily that some of the systems in place were extremely outdated. Gritting her teeth together at the memory, she let out a huff of annoyance and turned to Michelle. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come in here raging at you."

Michelle had been listening to Carla sympathetically. She'd reached up into the cupboard for a glass and was now pouring a small measure of red wine into it.

"Don't be daft, you look so stressed out. Here, take this and come with me."

Throwing a glance towards the younger woman, Carla allowed Michelle to take her hand and lead her through the bedroom.

"Open the bathroom door," Michelle encouraged, looking thoroughly pleased about something.

"What're you-? Oh..."

The room glowed invitingly, owing to the fact Michelle had lit a selection of candles. The bath was full, a cloud of bubbles producing from the porcelain. Carla didn't know wether it was those or the candles she could smell, but the enticing scent of coconut and something flowery invaded her senses and she turned around to face the younger woman.

"'Chelle... what did I do to deserve you, ey?"

"You must have been a saint in your past life." Michelle teased, walking over to the other brunette and wrapping her arms around her, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "Now have your bath, drink your wine and if you still need to have a rant and rage about Alya, you've got all night to chew my ear off okay?"

Letting out a content hum, Carla cupped the younger woman's cheek and stroked her thumb lightly over her uninjured cheek. "Thank you."

Giving her hands a gentle squeeze, Michelle left the room to allow her some privacy.

Carla had to admit, it was a lot harder to be angry when she was submerged in the water, feeling the heat of it relax her tense shoulders, easing the aching of the knot of stress in her back. She sipped her wine in contentment, deciding that her problem assistant would not be allowed to ruin the one of the rare moments she was finally allowed to relax. Swirling the red liquid around in her glass, she wondered idly if she'd be able to persuade Michelle to let her have a second one, maybe a little larger too...

"Oh, that was exactly what I needed." Carla sighed, making her way into the living area half an hour later. Stopping in her tracks, her breath caught in her throat as she clapped eyes on Michelle. The younger woman was wearing a dusky pink slinky night dress, it had a soft grey lace trim along the neckline and hem, which barely came down to cover her thighs. Her legs were casually crossed over one another, long and tanned, contrasting perfectly against the pale silk; she had her head buried in a magazine, but her eyes drifted over the top of the pages when Carla entered the room.

"Do you want another drink, darlin'?" Michelle asked brightly, flashing a dazzling smile at the other woman, who hadn't seemed to have heard the question.

"Carla?"

Snapping her parted mouth shut, Carla blinked and shook her head. She plucked the magazine from Michelle's hands and tossed it carelessly over her shoulder, sliding herself into the younger woman's lap, before wrapping her arms around her neck.

"I'm reading that, you know?"

"You _were_ reading that." Carla corrected, leaning in to deliver a slow, lingering kiss against Michelle's lips. She felt the other woman's arms slip around her waist to pull her closer, nuzzling her nose against the older brunettes once they had broke apart.

"What was that for?" Michelle whispered, her fingertips grazing up and down Carla's back.

"Because I can." Carla shrugged, biting her lip as a small grin spread across them. "And I missed you."

Michelle sat back against the cushions, gently coaxing the other woman down with her so that her head was against her shoulder. Carla wrapped her arm around Michelle's waist and brushed her leg against her calf affectionately.

"I love having you close like this," The younger woman whispered, brushing her fingertips though Carla's damp hair; she dropped a light kiss to the top of her head. "Sometimes I feel like you'll just disappear if I let you go."

"I'm not going anywhere anymore, 'Chelle. I promise,"

Michelle just held her tighter in response. They sat in a companionable silence; Carla listening to the soothing thrum of the other woman's heartbeat, enjoying the gentle ministrations of Michelle's fingers as she continued to weave them through her hair. Nuzzling closer into her, Carla turned her head and pressed a soft kiss to her skin, directly over her heart. Michelle's skin was warm, invitingly soft; she continued to press her lips over smooth plane of her chest, trailing a path of gentle pecks along her collarbone. The younger woman's eyes fluttered closed and she tipped her head back, exposing the delicate skin of her throat. The first touch of soft lips against the sensitive area caused Michelle to let out a quiet gasp. Parting her lips, Carla planted slow, open-mouthed kisses along her neck; the lingering floral musk of Michelle's expensive perfume invaded her senses and she felt the other woman's hand tighten slightly in her hair.

Carla's breath was hot against Michelle's skin and when her mouth pressed against a particularly sensitive pulse point the younger woman visibly shivered, goosebumps freckling her arms. Her lips were slow and patient, as though she wanted to take in as much of the other woman as possible. Michelle's breathing was definitely heavier and when Carla pressed the palm of her hand against her heart it was humming rapidly in her chest. Each kiss she delivered against her skin caused Michelle's breath to hitch, the hand that wasn't tangled encouragingly in her hair was curled around the back of the sofa, her nails digging into the fabric.

"Carla," The name left her mouth in a husky whisper and she was panting slightly as the older woman started to pepper her kisses along her jawline, now straddling her body in order to reach her lips.

The kiss that came next was searing. Michelle's hands caught Carla's face, trying to hold her closer as she other woman deepened the kiss; the first touch of Carla's tongue against her own caused her to whimper against her lips, a fire erupting in her stomach.

Barely leaving the kiss for a second as they broke apart for air, it resumed with a continued passion. Michelle sucked a full, lower lip into her mouth and nibbled it gently, her back arching slightly as Carla's hand trailed across her stomach.

"'Chelle," She gasped against the other woman's lips, both of them panting heavily as they broke apart. Michelle's skin was flushed, her cheeks pink and hot, eyes dark as she glanced up at the other woman from underneath her eyelashes. "Please, let me take you to bed."

The fire in Michelle's stomach reignited at her words, every nerve ending on her body sparked at the woman's low, sultry tone. Carla slid off her but held out her hands, pulling the younger brunette from the sofa and lacing their fingers together as she lead her through to the bedroom. They fell onto the bed in a flurry of kisses, Carla's hands grazing Michelle's side once more, this time taking a handful of silk. Swallowing, the other woman raised her hands above her head, glancing into her eyes; a silent confirmation that this was okay. Carla's heart was hammering in her chest as she slid the garment over Michelle's head, her breath catching in her throat as more of her tanned skin was revealed. The younger woman had been bare underneath, save for the white underwear she was wearing. The lace waistband contrasted perfectly with the toned skin it rested against.

Carla's travelled slowly over her frame, soaking up every inch of the amazing woman in front of her. Michelle's eyes closed once more when the older brunettes fingertips grazed down her sides, her fingertips seemingly leaving scorch marks in their wake. Carla's touch was electric on her skin.

Unable to stop herself, she pulled the other woman closer and caught her in another inflamed kiss, her tongue battling fiercely against Carla's. She brought her hands down the the front of the buttoned night shirt the other woman wore, her fingers shakily pulling apart the first two.

It was the tensing of her frame that alerted Michelle before the older brunette could even speak. Her hands dropped the cotton material and she pulled back, concern plastered across her face.

"Hey, hey, are you alright? Is this too much?"

Carla shook her head, her breath ragged as she sat rigid on the bed, her lip trembling slightly.

"'Chelle, you're so beautiful. And I want you, I want you so much..." She whispered, trailing off to press a delicate kiss against her mouth. "I'm just...I'm scared." Carla admitted, dropping her gaze down to the bed so that she didn't have to look at Michelle as she confessed what felt like weakness. "I want it to be perfect for you and I know that once this happens, well, everything will have changed won't it? There's no going back, not that I'd want to, but I just can't lose you."

Michelle gently tipped her chin with one hand, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Carla," She whispered, stroking her thumb against the older woman's cheek. "I'm not going anywhere, and once you're ready, I want us to take this step together. I can't even contemplate a life without you."

Carla nodded, allowing the other woman to lean in for another soft kiss. She let out a shaky breath and bit her lip, her eyes starting to fill.

"Hey, baby," Michelle murmured, lightly cupping her cheeks and brushing underneath her eyes. "Is there something else?"

"It's stupid..."

"No it isn't, not if it's bothering you. You know you can tell me anything."

"You're absolutely perfect, I mean it 'Chelle, you're flawless," Carla swallowed, her hand falling to her own stomach over her shirt, which Michelle had only managed to unbutton halfway. "I've got- the operation- you can still see...It left a scar."

"Oh, darlin'," Michelle pulled her close, wrapping her in a comforting hug, her hand rubbing small circles on her back. "It isn't a flaw, it really isn't." She whispered soothingly, dropping a gentle kiss to the top of her head before pulling back. Sliding her hands down the other woman's arms, she took both of Carla's and laced their fingers together.

"It's still quite visible," The older woman swallowed, giving Michelle's hands a gentle squeeze. "It's not exactly... nice to look at."

Michelle searched Carla's eyes, tears had pricked in the corners of them.

"Can I see?"

Taking a deep breath, Carla pressed her lips together, letting it out through her nose as she considered the question. She hadn't contemplated that she would ever end up in a position where Michelle would have to see it. Unsure why she felt insecure all of a sudden, she reminded herself that the woman in front of her was, first and foremost, her best friend; Michelle had never given her a reason to distrust her. Finally, she gave a small, slow nod.

Letting go of her hands, the younger brunette stroked lightly down Carla's cheek, before beginning to work on unfastening the buttons once more. This time, her fingers were focused, cautious; she kept her eyes on the other woman's, watching for any signs of distress.

"Tell me to stop, if you need me to. I won't look down until you say it's okay."

When she'd pulled apart the last button, she let her arms drop back to her sides.

"You can look."

A thin, prominent line marred the other woman's otherwise unblemished skin. With a light fingertip, Michelle lightly traced over the mark, feeling the other woman jump as she touched her. Instantly withdrawing in case she'd overstepped the line, the younger brunette looked up to apologise. Carla wasn't even looking at her. Her head was turned, her eyes staring determinedly in the other direction. It was as though she had been anticipating a negative reaction. Michelle felt a painful tug in her heart.

"Carla, look at me...Look at me, please."

The green hues that reluctantly met hazel were vulnerable and desperate; silently pleading against rejection. Michelle's hand was against her cheek again, she leant in carefully and brushed her lips over Carla's.

"This," She whispered, stroking over her scarred skin once more, her touch barely there. "Is the reason that you're here in front of me now. It's why I can hold you, kiss you, touch you..." Trailing off, Michelle delivered another lingering kiss against Carla's lips, resting her forehead against the other woman's when they broke apart. "Having that on your body means that your eyes open each morning and I get to look into them." Her thumb was stroking away the tears that had spilled over Carla's cheeks. "And I'm so grateful, so lucky. It's not a flaw, Carla, it's a miracle."

The older woman swallowed down a sob and fell into Michelle's arms. She clung tight to the younger woman in front of her; she made her feel so safe, so loved.

"Thank you," She whispered, touching her lips to the other woman's forehead, her fingertips grazing down bare, smooth expanse of Michelle's back. "I'm sorry I ruined-"

"You didn't ruin anything. You made it better, you let me in and you trusted me." Michelle brought her arms to Carla's shoulders, gently pushing the shirt away from her skin so it fell down completely. "I want to hold you like this, just hold you that's all. Is that okay?"

Nodding wordlessly, Carla allowed Michelle to guide them both back against the pillows. Her breath hitched slightly when the other brunettes body met hers, eyes fluttering closed at the warmth of Michelle's skin when her chest pressed against her own. They'd held one another so many times, she wouldn't have thought they could be any closer, but as their limbs tangled together, her thigh stroking against the other woman's, Carla knew that if they were to go back to how they had been before, it would never be enough. Not now.

Michelle was scattering tender kisses across parts of her exposed skin, along her arm, across her shoulder, over her face and Carla never wanted her to stop. Her arms curled around the younger brunette and her fingertips danced over her back, tracing patterns as she explored skin she'd never touched before. Carla thought she knew her well, but there was so much more to find out.

Michelle slowed the flurry of kisses she'd been soothing the older woman with and instead connected their lips for a slower, lingering one. Carla responded just as delicately and there was a fluttering warmth that radiated in Michelle's heart. She was no stranger to this feeling, it was one she knew well but more than she'd ever felt it. Carla's lips were so soft against her own and when they finally broke apart, hazel eyes bore into green. She knew why the other woman looked away whenever she was trying to hide how she felt; behind mossy hues and flecks of brown, everything was revealed. The older woman was gazing at her adoringly, she looked so content in that moment. She wore happiness beautifully and Michelle knew exactly why she wanted to make sure those eyes were never again tainted with sadness.

Leaning in, she captured the other woman's lips in one last kiss, hoping it would help to convey what she knew had been there since the night Carla had found her alone in the flat, crying in her wedding dress. Her head leant against the older brunettes, she could feel the warmth of her breath against her lips, mirroring the warmth of her skin where it merged seamlessly with Carla's. They fit together so perfectly; they'd never been closer.

"I love you, Carla."


	8. Chapter 8

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Carla was watching Michelle as she sat at her dressing table, carefully dabbing concealer on her bruised cheek; occasionally the brunette woman would let out a wince, her face scrunching up in what seemed to be half pain, half disgust.

"I've got to. Daniel says he hasn't been back for days, they're running out of everything. They've had to close today, he's got no idea how to order a restock and we need another chef because the one we have can't cope on his own." Listing off those problems alone was causing a dull ache across her head, the stress of the day already starting to get to her before she'd even got dressed. Hissing slightly as she blended foundation into a particularly sore area of her face, where the purple of the bruise was deepest, she thought maybe the edges had a slight tint of yellow, perhaps it was already beginning to heal.

"You don't owe that man anything."

"No but I can't let Daniel down, or Kate or anyone else."

"Kate says she's going to quit." Carla reminded her, absentmindedly scrolling through the family group chat. It had blown up earlier that morning, as news had travelled around. Thanks to Ryan, Michelle had to mentally add 'squash down any rumours' to her list of things to do.

"I can't believe he opened his gob in front of Norris."

"In his defence, I honestly don't think he meant to. I think seeing Ali out of the blue like that really threw him off." Carla bit her lip; she had broke that news to Michelle a couple of hours ago, having lightly nudged the younger woman awake with a coffee and a sympathetic smile. They were both still in dressing gowns, owing to the fact they'd spent a good hour in bed, Carla's arm around Michelle's shoulders as they discussed the current situation.

"I can't believe they were nearly fighting, I thought they'd be past all that. Something else for me to worry about." Michelle mumbled, now dusting powder over her face to set the make up. It had been somewhat of a success, she guessed that if the lighting was particularly harsh, a faint marring across her face would be visible. But from her current position, she could barely tell her face was injured at all. Even the redness in her eye had almost completely disappeared, she just looked as though she hadn't quite had enough sleep.

"Don't you be worrying about those two, I've already warned them to behave themselves. I'll bang their flamin' heads together if not." Glancing at Michelle's reflection in the mirror, Carla shot her a warm smile, which the other woman returned before going back to concentrating on her mascara, her lips slightly parted as she worked on completing her look.

"I'm going to have to speak to him at some point... It all needs sorting. Maybe we can work something out, I could tell him I'll let it go if he still lets me work there."

Carla's brow furrowed and she got up from the bed, looking at Michelle as though she was insane.

"You can't be serious? You're not working with that drugged up-"

"I've got to have found somewhere else to to live within the next ten days! I need a job, Carla." The familiar wave of nausea swept caused her to feel dizzy for a moment and she dropped the mascara she was holding as her hands shook, her chest feeling tight once more.

Biting her lip, Carla hurried over to the younger woman and slid her arms around her from behind, leaning over the chair to rest her chin against her shoulder.

"Breathe, 'Chelle," She murmured softly in her ear, before moving her lips up to gently kiss the side of her head. Placing her hand over her chest, she could feel the other woman's heart thumping rapidly. " _We'll_ figure it out, okay? Because you're not on your own. We're in this together, whatever happens. One day at a time, okay? Today, all you need to focus on is restocking the order for the Bistro. Nothing else."

Closing her eyes for a moment, Michelle took a deep breath, exhaling through her mouth before turning to face Carla, giving a small nod. "You're right, one thing at a time. I'm sorry, I know you've got a lot on as well."

Shaking her head to dismiss the other woman's needless apology, Carla twisted around to kiss Michelle, unable to stop herself grinning against the other woman's lips as she felt her heart rate, which had just slowed, speed back up again.

"What?"

"I love that."

Michelle frowned, confused. "Love what?"

"Feeling your heart race when I kiss you."

A deep blush coloured the younger woman's cheeks and she leant in once more, pulling Carla in for a deeper kiss. Carla's arms prickled with goosebumps at the light brush of Michelle's tongue against her own. They continued for a moment longer, the younger woman sighting softly against Carla's mouth before reluctantly pulling back, knowing they couldn't get carried away.

"Right, tasks for today," She murmured breathlessly, trying to straighten her thoughts; a difficult feat when Carla's hand was brushing up and down the area where her dressing gown had fallen open slightly, her fingertips grazing over her stomach. "I've got to sort the Bistro and you have to try and keep your hands from wrapping themselves around Alya's throat."

Carla scoffed. "Don't put thoughts of her in my head when I'm thinking about you like-" She stopped herself from completing the sentence, biting her lip mischievously.

"You're terrible. Go on, get dressed."

With a final quick kiss, Carla pulled herself away from Michelle and disappeared through into the bathroom.

 **IXIXIXI**

"So it's basically the same every week, but these items highlighted red are the ones you need to keep an eye on, it's what we run out of most."

Michelle was running Daniel through the ordering process on the computer. Although she wanted to get the Bistro back open as soon as possible, she knew that they'd be having to close again if he wasn't clear on how to handle the system. He was watching the screen intensely, taking in everything she was saying. Michelle was glad that he had the brains, it would take a little of the stress away if he picked it up quickly.

"And then these products here are the ones we need fresh daily, it varies somewhat depending on what-"She trailed off, swallowing before forcing out his name. "-on what Robert decides the daily specials will be. Just double check because he's temperamental."

At those words, Daniel scoffed and Michelle turned to face him, eyebrows raised.

"Well, that's a bit of an understatement isn't it? Considering what happened."

"Don't you start, too." She moaned, rubbing her fingertips across her forehead, already starting to feel the dull ache of stress spreading across it. In the dim light of the Bistro, the marks across her face were barely visible, though she caught Daniel studying her cheek intently, his eyes narrowed.

"Look, it's none of my business, but why would you want to continue doing this? Kate and I are all for quitting, but, you know, bills..." He trailed off with a sigh, clearly if his situation was different, he wouldn't have chosen to continue his shift there.

"Yeah, well, so have I." Michelle murmured, watching him finish the order on the computer. Looking at her for confirmation, she nodded, satisfied that he'd know what to do in the future. "I don't know when he's coming back, or where he is. I haven't heard from him at all."

"Good! Why are you worrying about him? He wasn't worried if you'd be okay when he walloped you one."

"Because, I hurt him too. I called off the wedding, we broke up." Michelle was unsure why she was telling in this. Although, if he was working there and willing to continue helping out, she supposed he did deserve to know what was happening.

"Is that why he-?"

She shook her head, leaning her elbows on the bar, glancing around the empty room in dismay. "No, he didn't actually mean to. I tried to stop him smashing up he flat and got in the way of his tantrum."

"I'm sorry," Daniel murmured, resting his hand on her shoulder for a moment. "I'm sorry it didn't work out for the both of you. You seemed happy."

"We were," Michelle admitted, reaching under the bar to pick up a bottle of wine. Twisting off the lid, she poured a small measure into the glass and offered one to the waiter, who politely declined. About to raise the glass to her lips, the doors swung open and she tensed for a second, her throat constricting before Ryan tumbled through them, stumbling slightly.

"Ah, mother! You're a hard woman to track down." The grin on his face was far too wide, his steps clumsy as he wobbled over the the bar, clutching onto it for support. "I forgot my keys at the flat last night."

"Have you only just got back from town?! Michelle gasped, completely appalled. Daniel was staring at the other man apprehensively, as though worried he was going to have to clean up the consequences of his drunken state.

Ryan shrugged, accepting the bottle of water that Michelle had quickly grabbed from the fridge. "Well I had a lot of catching up to do."

Rolling her eyes, the brunette woman disappeared into the kitchen and returned with the keys to the flat, placing them directly into her sons hand and closing his fingers around them. "Do not lose these. I'll be back in a couple of hours. Go and have a shower and for God sake, sober up! We've got that meal tonight, you're going to be a state."

Having checked her phone on the way over, she's discovered that Johnny had taken Carla's suggestion of having a family meal seriously. Informing them that he'd booked a table in town for eight o'clock, he'd requested that they all met in the rovers an hour before hand for drinks. At first, Michelle had been unsure, but Carla had reminded her she'd be there too and that it might be nice to see all the family. It was with a saddened pang she realised that the next time they would do so would be at Aidan's funeral.

"Right go on and don't pass out."

"When will you be back?"

"When I've figured out what the hell i'm going to do to apologise to the customers we've had to let down." She sighed, having been toying with the idea of discounts.

"Well, that's easy. I'm quite literally the answer to your prayers!" Ryan spread his arms out, tightening his fist around the keys after receiving a death glare from his mother when they had slipped slightly from his grasp. Daniel was watching him in sceptic amusement, clearly waiting to hear what his master plan was. Michelle crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows as she regarded her drunken state of a son in front of her. This one should be good.

"Have a live band night!" He grinned excitedly, a look of triumph spreading across his features. "A one-night only special. Free bottle of plonk per table and all that jazz."

Looking mildly impressed, Daniel turned to Michelle. "That's not actually a bad idea."

"And where do I get this live band?"

Ryan stared at her as though she'd said something completely ridiculous.

"Hello? I'm in a band!"

"You _were_ in a band." She corrected, although the more she thought about what he'd said, the more plausible the idea seemed.

"Yeah and I was out with them all last night. We were actually talking about getting together again at some point, just for old times sake. They'd be made up if I said I had a proper gig for them."

Michelle had to admit, it was better than anything she'd come up with so far. But it was a big risk- she was going to have to actually trust her son to show up and then to be sober.

"Alright, alright. I tell you what, when you're sober we'll discuss it all properly."

Sticking his thumb up at Michelle, Ryan turned to walk out of the Bistro, intent on having a quick hours kip before his mother returned home. He was almost knocked off his feet at the sheer force the door was thrown open at as he was about to leave.

"Watch what the hell-"

"Michelle! Oh, thank god. It's Carla, you need to come quick."

At the look of fright on Beth's face, her stomach dropped, blood rushing to her ears and panic flooding through her body.

"What's happened?" She suddenly felt sick, her heart thumping erratically in her chest. "Is she okay?"

Michelle was already at the door, pulling it open once more, instructing Daniel to lock up.

"I don't know, she barricaded herself in the office. She won't come out."

Snatching the keys back from Ryan's hands, she tore out of the restaurant, almost stumbling over the cobbles in her hurry to get to the other woman.

It was pandemonium. A flurry of machinists were gathered around the door to the office, calling Carla's name, knocking on the door. There were suggestions about breaking it down. A pained wailing noise emitted from behind closed blinds and Michelle pushed the workers out of the way roughly, jamming her key in the lock. Her hands were shaking so badly that Ryan had to take over.

"I'm coming, darling, I'm here!" Michelle called desperately, finally toppling through into the office.

Carla was sat at her desk, her head in her hands. Gut wrenching sobs tore from her body as she tried to gulp down her cries, tears pouring down her face. Michelle quickly turned to where Ryan was stood, members of staff peering curiously over his shoulder as they tried to get a glimpse at their boss.

"Tell them to go home, Ry."

She could hear the muffled footsteps of the workforce as she closed the door, as they complied with her sons instructions. Instantly, she was by Carla's side, wrapping her arms around the sobbing woman to pull her close to her chest.

"I'm here, I'm here, now."

Carla clung onto the younger woman, winding her fingers into the fabric of her top, willing herself to calm down, for the pain in her heart to ease up just slightly. More tears leaked down her face and she let them fall. She knew that she could here; Michelle was rocking her gently, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"Baby, what's happened? You're scaring me," The other brunette woman whispered, pulling back slightly to cup Carla's cheeks, brushing her thumbs across her damp face.

Taking a couple of ragged breaths, Carla's voice shook when she spoke, her words cracking with the effort it was taking to speak without crying.

"Alya...she quit." Michelle knew there was more to it than that. She continued to brush her thumbs along the other woman's cheekbones, waiting patiently for her to compose herself. "She said some horrible things."

"What sort of things?"

The green hues that caught the other woman's were glossy with pain, fear and shame. She almost didn't want to tell Michelle, terrified of her answer.

"Would Aidan be ashamed of me?" She whispered, her heart clenching painfully at the thought. The whisper of her voice sounded timid; the voice that had once belonged to a scared little girl, who grew up on the wrong estate, wondering what she'd done so wrong to be so hated.

"Did she say that?" Michelle gasped, looking disgusted. Carla's face crumpled once more and another cry fell from her lips.

"Oh, Carla of course he wouldn't be ashamed of you. Of course he wouldn't. Don't even contemplate the idea." Gently nudging the other woman up from her chair, Michelle slid into it instead and brought Carla into her lap. Allowing herself to be bundled into the younger brunettes arms, she let her head fall into the crook of her neck, her fingertips still gripping the material of her top.

"He loved you, so much," Michelle assured her, running a comforting hand through her hair. She could feel the other woman's tears wetting her skin.

"Then why did he leave?"

The question hung heavy in the air; it was something no one was ever going to know the answer to. But it didn't stop the factory boss torturing herself over not knowing.

"I shouldn't have piled all the stress of this place on him." Carla finally confessed, as though she was admitting fault. Her body shuddered and she couldn't hold back another sob, feeling Michelle's arm curl tighter around her waist. "If I'd have just-"

"Please, stop," The other woman whispered, causing the older brunette to glance up. There were tears on Michelle's cheeks. "Stop doing this to yourself, darlin'." The sound of Carla's cries had tore through Michelle like physical pain. "It wasn't your fault, I swear it wasn't."

"How can you know?"

"Because he didn't want to leave, Carla. No one ever wants to stop living. They just want the hurt to stop. It feels like the only way."

The brutal, gentle honesty of Michelle's words rang in Carla's ears. It was true, they both knew it was true. Reaching up, the older brunette placed her own hand against Michelle's cheek, brushing underneath her uninjured eye.

"Promise me, we won't lose anyone else like this?" She whispered, tucking a strand of the younger woman's hair behind her ear. Their gazes met, spring and autumn; Michelle leant down slowly and Carla's eyes only left hers to flutter shut when the other brunettes lips brushed against her own, capturing them in a soft kiss.

"I swear."

 **IXIXIXI**

Michelle was stood just outside the cafe, wanting to wait for Carla so they could walk to the Rovers together. She knew it was silly, but she felt somewhat nervous about going in alone. Clad in a high waist leather skirt, tights and stilettos, it was worth waiting for the other woman just so she had someone to help her across the cobbles in such attire. She flipped her curled hair over her shoulder and checked the watch on her wrist, trust Carla to make them fashionably late.

"Oh, finally! I thought you'd forg-" She stopped dead in her tracks, a breathless whisper leaving her lips as she caught sight of the older woman. "Carla..."

The factory boss had also opted to curl her hair, it framed her face in light waves. She wore a form fitting, deep navy dress, which brought out the caramel tones in her hair and contrasted perfectly against her skin. Carla rarely did so, but that evening she'd painted her full lips a deep, sultry red, which seemed to make her smile gleam. A smile that she was aiming at the woman in front of her.

"Will I do for the night, then?"

Swallowing and still unable to find speech, Michelle merely nodded, allowing Carla to link her arm through the crook of her elbow. It was the first time they'd be spending time with their family since the revelation of their feelings and Carla guessed they were both feeling more than a little paranoid. Willing herself to act 'naturally', she gave Michelle's hand a gentle squeeze as they neared the door, letting go quickly.

"You look stunning, 'Chelle," She murmured quietly, causing the other woman to feel too hot in the leather jacket she was wearing. Shrugging it from her shoulders, she turned to face the older brunette, her head tilted to the side.

"Me? You looked in the mirror before you left, right?" Michelle breathed, her gaze drifting down to Carla's lips, who noticed her staring and took the time to slowly drag her teeth over a full lower lip; a smirk spread across her face as she met the younger woman's eyes, finishing with a subtle wink.

"We'd better head in,"

Noticing the black lace top Michelle was wearing, the cropped material leaving a small band of tanned skin between that and the waistband of her skirt, she brought her hand up and under the pretence of gently guiding her through the door, lightly ran her fingertips across her exposed back. She dropped her hands when they were through the door, clapping eyes on the rest of their family who were already seated.

"Where've you two been? You're late!" Kate reprimanded, having been in conversation with Ryan who thankfully, had now sobered up. That said, he was already halfway through a pint.

"Only by five minutes," Carla dismissed, shrugging her shoulders as she nodded in greeting towards her dad. Johnny's smile didn't quite reach his eyes, but he was trying his best.

"It's Carla's fault, you know she'll have tried on every pair of shoes she owns before leaving Roy's. And in those ones it'll have taken her ten just to get down those stairs!" Michelle chuckled, taking a seat between Ryan and Ali, effectively splitting them up, not wanting to risk a fall out. That left Cala so take the remaining seat next to Kate, leaving her directly opposite Michelle's biological son, who smiled warmly at her.

"You look nice, Carla." He muttered so quietly, she wasn't even sure she'd heard him right.

"Oh, uh, thanks," The brunette woman looked slightly taken aback, but soon composed herself.

It was when Jenny finished her third glass of wine that Johnny suggested they make tracks to the restaurant. Their booth had steadily become louder as drinks were consumed, Michelle had barely looked at Carla the whole time; the factory owner had tried to catch her eye several times and after failing to do so, reached across to place her hand on top of the other woman's. Completely paranoid, the younger brunette jumped and snatched her hand from the table. The gesture went unnoticed by no one.

"Oh, don't tell me you're rowing again? I thought you'd made up!" Ryan rolled his eyes, sliding his arm around Michelle's shoulders. "You're making yourself miserable, you know? You hate rowing."

"What did you row about?" Jenny piped up, her eyes slightly unfocused as she awaited one of the women's answers.

"Oh- it was nothing-"

" _Nothing?_ Honestly they were absolutely _screaming_ at one another, I nearly intervened because I thought there was going to be a proper scrap!"

"It was about Robert." Carla suddenly answered, wracking her brains to come up with a plausible excuse. "I was badgering Michelle to phone the police. She didn't want to."

Looking relieved, the other woman jumped on the excuse, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, you know what she's like. She doesn't let things drop and my head was all over the place."

Johnny let out a gruff scoff, his hand curling into a fist. "Well I have to say I agree with Carla on that one."

Pushing a stressful hand through her curls, Michelle let out a gentle sigh and shook her head, not sure which was a worse topic of conversation.

"Look, I know you don't believe me but it honestly was an accident. He didn't mean to hit me, I was about to grab that photo from him and he held out his hand to stop me. He caught me in the mouth and I hit my cheek on the table on the way down. I just want to move on from it."

She eye'd her family, as though daring one of them to challenge her choice; she looked satisfied when they seemed to accept her version of events.

"I broke his nose, anyway." Ryan looked around proudly, taking a victorious swig of his beer. Johnny reached over to clap him on the shoulder. "I doubt he'll do anything else."

A sceptical scoff from Ali was quickly covered with him clearing his throat; he banged his own chest as he faked a couple of coughs. "Oh, sorry, must be coming down with something."

Ryan shot him a look equivalent to that of finding a mess on the bottom of his shoe.

"I'm sure you'll survive, Doctor."

"Right are we ready to go?" Jenny clapped her hands together, clearly wanting to avoid an impending argument between the two. Carla nodded in agreement and picked up her glass, draining the last of her wine in one final swallow.

"Wait, not yet!" Ryan glanced around the pub, as though expecting an appearance from someone. His next words confirmed that he was. "We're not all here. I invited someone else."

A chorus of shocked voices left the booth at once, as they all cried "who?"

"Maria!" He looked at them all incredulously, as though it had been the most obvious answer in the world.

"Well... I suppose she is still family. Your Aunty." Michelle agreed, about to congratulate her son on his thoughtfulness before he shook his head, a smirk appearing across his face.

"She's no blood relative of mine."

Perhaps it was the phrase 'blood relative' that caused Michelle and Carla to stare awkwardly down at the table- the younger of the two couldn't even bring herself to tell her son off. Looking almost guilty, she bit her lip, daring to glance up at Carla who looked equally as worried. It was Ali who couldn't stop himself from throwing in a dig.

"Come off it! What planet are you on where someone like Maria would be interested in a cheesy, witless, scuzzy DJ?"

Looking furious, and before Michelle could tell them both to pack it in, he rounded on the man who he'd never call a brother and fired back at him.

"And Carla wouldn't ever be interested in a boring, mummy's-boy like you but that hasn't stopped you from gawping at her all night like a great gormless gorilla! That beard does nothing for you, mate."

Michelle and Carla's gazes snapped to Ali, who surprisingly looked unabashed at having been accused of being attracted to the brunette sat across from him, who consequently felt her face flush with embarrassment and awkwardness. Why had they thought a family get together would be a good idea?

"Wow, this is...dysfunctional. Yep. Definitely dysfunctional." Kate nodded, shrinking back on herself slightly and using finishing her drink as an excuse to distract herself from the thick tension around the table.

"Maria!" The final guest had finally come through the door to the Rovers, looking flustered. Thankful that something had broke the silence that had built around the table, the rest of the party greeted her.

"I'm so sorry, Liam had a right tantrum! I hope I haven't kept you waiting."

"No, no, we've just about finished up and ready to head off if you are?"

 **IXIXIXI**

After the complete disaster in the Rovers Return, Michelle's expectations for dinner were considerably low. Making sure she'd seated herself between her two sons once more, she was also worried about being sat directly opposite from Carla. Things seemed to simple and easy when it was just the two of them. Now, she was actively avoiding the other woman's gaze once more.

"Mum, come on, you can't really be mad at Carla can you? She wanted what was best for you."

At the mention of their row once more, they met one another's gaze and Carla eye'd Michelle pointedly, raising her eyebrow. The younger woman didn't need to hear Carla's voice to know that she was mentally telling her off for acting so strangely.

"It's okay, Ryan. To be fair I did come on pretty _heavy,_ didn't I, 'Chelle?" A cocky little smirk spread across the older brunettes lips as she narrowed her eyes across the table, feeling a thrill of success when Michelle's hands tightened around her cutlery, eyes widening.

"I'm not mad at her," Michelle replied simply, shrugging her shoulders and trying to focus on her meal.

"Come off it! You've barely looked at her all evening. You're usually slormed all over one another." Kate giggled, slightly pink in the cheeks from one too many glasses of red wine. "Like an old married couple."

"Oh, we're fine. And if we weren't, I'd win her back around wouldn't I ey 'Chelle?" Carla teased lightheartedly, throwing her a wink. "She can't resist my charm."

"I don't suppose many can," Ali grinned from across the table, earning a groan from Ryan and a glare from his biological mother. "Sorry, sorry,"

"Just behave trying to flirt, especially when it's that pitiful. Have we all nearly finished? I want dessert." Ryan glanced around the table, before twisting his head to look at the specials board that was hanging over the bar.

Placing down her knife and fork, Carla took hold on the napkin that she'd previously spread on her lap and dabbed delicately at her mouth, running her tongue over her teeth when she'd finished. "You know what Ry, I might join you. I'm in the mood for dessert tonight."

There was a crash and a splutter from across the table. Michelle had been taking a gulp of water before Carla had spoke. She'd sprayed the majority of it down her front and dropped the rest of it into her lap. Concerned, Ali patted her helpfully on the back as she choked, her eyes watering slightly as she gasped for breath.

"Are you alright?"

All eyes were on the brunette woman, who stood up from her seat, water dripping down her skirt.

"Sorry, it went down the wrong way." She wheezed, clearing her throat as she wiped underneath her eyes. "Excuse me, I'd better go and clean up."

Carla watched her make her way towards the restaurant bathrooms. She waited around three seconds before digging around in her bad and producing her lipstick.

"I'll see if she's okay while I top up my lippy."

Leaving the table and Kate and Maria's discussion about a beauty course the older of the duo was planning to take, she retraced Michelle's steps into the bathroom, pushing the door open. The pretty brunette was dabbing at her skirt with a wad of tissue in front of the mirror. She whipped around when Carla entered.

"What're you playing at?" She hissed, glancing across to the other stalls to make sure they were alone.

Taken aback, Carla moved across to Michelle and took hold of her shoulders, gently turning her around.

"Me? 'Chelle, you need to stop acting paranoid! That's what they're picking up on, here." The older brunette reached down to try and take her hands, but Michelle moved back. "See, this is what I mean!"

"What if someone sees?"

"I always hold your hand!"

Michelle bit her lip as she considered Carla's words; true, they had always been affectionate with one another. The other woman's presence had always provided her a comfort she'd never been able to find in anyone else.

"You were flirting with me." The younger woman accused, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Just a tiny bit." Carla held up her thumb and forefinger, gesturing. "You know what I'm like after a couple of glasses of red."

"A little bit? 'I'm in the mood for dessert'!"

Carla's mouth fell open, her eyebrows flying to her hairline as she took a step towards the other woman, a disbelieving cackle leaving her parted lips. "For your information, I was referring to the White chocolate and ginger mousse that was advertised on the 'Chef's Special' board behind Ryan's head."

"Oh, god," Michelle's hands instantly covered her face, a fiery red blush setting deep in her skin, completely mortified at the assumption she had made.

Unable to keep the smirk from dancing across her lips, Carla gently eased the other woman's hands away from her hot cheeks and bit her lip.

"Well I never, Michelle Connor," She reprimanded in mock disapproval. "I think you need to get this-" Breaking off, she reached up and tapped her fingertip against Michelle's temple, her voice low and husky as she spoke. "-out of the gutter." Stroking her finger down the other woman's heated skin, she traced across her lip, causing her breath to hitch slightly.

"Carla, don't..." The younger brunette rasped, her lower lip trembling slightly.

"Why?"

"Because I refuse to kiss you in a toilet."

"It's quite a posh toilet." Carla reasoned, glancing around at the polished marble surrounding them.

Michelle laughed, shaking her head before lacing her fingers through Carla's and giving them a gentle squeeze.

"Come on, they'll be wondering where we've got to."

They just caught the brunt of the conversation as they made their way back over to the table.

"-So she told me she slipped down in Freshco's and I asked where she'd hurt herself," Ali was talking animatedly to the rest of the group, his hand held up in front of him. "And I'm not lying, she actually said 'in aisle six'!"

A roar of laughter erupted from the table, even Ryan was struggling to keep the grin from his face. Maria was actually wiping tears from her own. Carla wondered if it was the first time Johnny had smiled since.

"Oh god, that's hilarious!" Jenny clapped her hand on the table, the other clutching her stomach. "Have you got anymore?"

"Ah here they are, look! Friends?" Kate called across to the two brunette women, smiling when Michelle touched a quick kiss to Carla's cheek before they returned to their respective seats.

"Best friends forever," The older of the two chuckled, slipping her lipstick back into her bag. "Right, are we having pudding or what?"

 **IXIXIXI**

Despite the rocky start, Carla had to admit that the family dinner had actually been a success towards the end. By the time they'd moved onto dessert, any animosity between Ryan and Ali had almost disappeared and Michelle's biological son had thankfully not directed anymore overly affectionate comments her way.

That didn't stop her from feeling absolutely exhausted by the time herself, Michelle and Ryan had finally got back to the apartment. She could feel the fatigue in her bones, her head slightly fuzzy from the wine; not drunk, but not fully sober. It had been a long day, the upset from earlier not forgotten as she rolled her shoulders, trying to relieve the aching tension from them. Truth be told, what she really wanted was a hot bath and some comfortable pyjamas. She'd made excuses about not wanting to disturb Roy so late in order to cover to the rest of the family why she'd be staying at Michelle's once more. A pang of guilt settled in her stomach, she didn't like lying.

Having little to no sleep and starting the day with a hangover, Ryan had bid the two women goodnight before turning in.

"'Chelle?"

The younger brunette was wrapped in a dressing gown, pulling her hair on top of her head as Carla entered the bedroom. She'd been making them both a drink.

"Ta, darling," Michelle accepted the warm mug gratefully, taking a careful sip from it.

"Are you getting in the bath?"

"I was going to, why?"

A slight pout spread across the older woman's lips and she sauntered over to her friend, sliding her arms around her neck. "I was going to get in."

"Ah, no, you're not going to worm your way around me. Those shoes having been killing me for hours."

Frowning slightly, she took the cup from Michelle's hands and placed it on the dressing table, before tilting her head and pressing her mouth against the other woman's. Her fingertips grazed along her jawline as they kissed softly, Michelle letting out a gentle hum of satisfaction.

"I've been wanting to kiss you since I saw you come out of the cafe." She admitted, causing Carla to beam with happiness. "You look so beautiful."

Their kiss resumed, Michelle's hands winding in Carla's hair to pull her closer, her heart fluttering when the older woman parted her lips to deepen it. Tasting the smooth, rich wine against her tongue, Carla's hands slid around Michelle's waist, running her nails over the silk of her dressing gown, making gentle patterns on her back.

Walking them backwards towards the bathroom, Michelle reached behind her and blindly turned on the taps before sitting against the edge of the bath, still engaged fully in their passionate embrace. It was only when the bathroom was in near danger of flooding that she finally let the other woman go, her lips pink and swollen. Carla was panting slightly, her eyes bright as she watched the younger woman stand. Without taking her eyes from the older woman's, her fingertips elegantly worked at the fastening on her gown.

The silk slid from Michelle's skin as though in liquid form, rippling down her body and pooling at her feet. It was like the night before hadn't happened, like Carla was laying eyes on the beautiful woman in front of her for the first time. Swallowing, she took a few cautious steps closer, her forehead tilting to meet the other woman's. Both were breathing heavily.

"Join me..."

"What?" Carla whispered breathlessly, her eyes fixated on the determined hazel ones of her.

"If you want to,"

Wordlessly, she turned around and dragged her hair over to one side, exposing the fastening on the dress she still wore. With trembling fingers, Michelle started to slide the zip down, her cool fingertips grazing down the older woman's spine as she did, feeling her shiver under the touch. Pushing the straps from her shoulders, it fell to the floor in one swift swoop. There was only one item of clothing left on her body when she turned back to face the younger woman. Curling one hand around the back of Michelle's head, she drew the woman in for a gentle kiss, the tip of her tongue barely tracing along the other woman's lower one; the younger brunette forgot how to breathe when she felt Carla lightly nibble, careful to avoid where she'd previously been hurt. When she finally pulled away, that last item of clothing had gone.

There was a flash on vulnerability in moss green eyes; Carla's heart thudding against her chest as she trembled, nervous but desiring nothing more than to be closer to the woman in front of her.

"It's okay," Michelle reassured her, reaching out to cup her face, her thumb stroking comfortingly over her cheekbone. "You're breathtaking."

Goosebumps covered her arms and she shivered as Michelle took her hands, taking a step backwards into the warm water. She let the younger woman lead, her own steps shaky and somewhat uncoordinated as she allowed Michelle to gently pull her into the water, guiding her down into the bubbles. It amazed her how easily her body slipped between the other woman's, the slick, smoothness of Michelle's skin against hers combined with the heat from the water causing her to let out a soft gasp.

"Are you okay?" The other brunettes whisper tickled her ear and a spark of electric rippled down her spine, her eyes fluttering shut as she gave a nod, not trusting herself to speak. "Carla, I need you to tell me this is okay..."

Pressing her back further into Michelle's chest, she took the younger woman's hands and brought them around her own waist, tangling their fingers together where they rested against her stomach.

"I'm okay, this is..." She trailed off, unable to find the right words to describe exactly how she felt in that moment. Close to her, she supposed, but that was an abominable understatement. Turning her head, she found herself pressing kisses along the younger woman's collarbone, her lips sliding easily along her wet skin.

"Carla," Michelle gasped, causing her to glance up, the tip of her nose bumping lightly along her jawline. Tilting her body to the side in order to reach her better, she found the other brunettes parted lips with her own. The kiss was slow and intense, Carla's tongue twirling delicately around Michelle's as her hand wandered absentmindedly along the smooth plain of the younger woman's stomach. So caught up in the way the Michelle sucked her lower lip between her own, she didn't register when her fingertips bumped over the swell of her chest until the younger woman froze, gasping into her mouth.

"I'm sorry- 'Chelle I didn't mean-" Carla pulled her hand away from the other woman instantly.

But Michelle shook her head, her nose stroking against hers as she did. Reaching up with her own hand to take Carla's, she silently brought it towards her, pressing her fingertips against to her skin so that they resumed their previous position.

"It's okay," She whispered, her breath heavy, hot against Carla's face. "I want you this close."

Nodding, the older woman let her forehead rest against Michelle's for a moment, waiting until her breathing had slowed before kissing her once more, soft and lingering. She could feel the younger brunettes fingertip grazing lightly across the scar on her stomach as she nuzzled into her neck, closing her eyes and focusing on nothing other than the way it felt to have every inch of her skin merged against Michelle's; her heart swelled and she knew that one day she could forgive the way the world worked.

After all, it had brought her to this very moment. Glancing up at the other woman, she saw that Michelle had also been watching her. The look in her eyes made Carla both terrified and amazed at the same time. She'd seen that look on the beautiful woman's face only once before; in a hospital, where she'd cradled a tiny newborn in her arms, completely in love and transfixed.

They both felt the pull, meeting one another in the middle for one more gentle kiss, before Carla settled back down against Michelle's chest; she had one ear over her heart, listening to her favourite sound while they lay together in the gradually cooling water.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/n: Originally I planned for the funeral to be part of this chapter. However because I wrote it backwards (I wanted to write the 'scary' parts first) by the time I came to write the funeral scenes, this chapter was already really long. I hope this is okay, I wasn't sure about this part of the story taking place before Aidan's funeral but I didn't want to leave it too long before I uploaded once more. Plus I'm really nervous about these scenes so I wanted to upload it before I lost my nerve! I really hope this is okay.**

 **tw: explicit scenes.**

The promise of a live band had been more popular than Michelle had anticipated, her face pink and pleased as she greeted everyone that came through the door, before introducing them to Daniel who showed them through the their table. Ryan's band were setting up in the corner, he threw her a thumbs up to show her he was still sober and she grinned back at him.

"This looks hopeful!" Kate called enthusiastically as she sauntered by her cousin, holding a bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other, delivering them to awaiting customers' tables with a smile.

"Ali! I didn't think you'd be coming!" Michelle's eyes widened in shock as her son walked through the door, her professional manner instantly dropped and she pulled him in for a close hug. "Not that I'm not thrilled to see you of course."

The other man looked shifty for a moment, shuffling from one foot to the other as he shrugged. There was a slight look of contempt on his face as his eyes fell on the band in the corner, but he soon cleared his expression and smiled down at his mother. "Yeah, well, I know this is important to you and I want you to know that you have my support."

Blinking tears from her eyes, Michelle kissed his cheek and have his shoulder a final squeeze. "Go and tell Daniel your first drink's on me."

As well as locals, there were people Michelle didn't recognise spilling through the door. She knew the tables had been booked fully, but it seemed a gaggle of the band's younger friends had come to show their support. They were greeted by the lead singer and waved over, gathering around a clump of stools by the bar.

"'Chelle! Who the flamin' 'ell have you booked, 'Take That'? Look at this place!" Even as the room buzzed with excited conversation, there was no mistaking that voice.

Carla had entered the Bistro with Maria, glancing around the room somewhat impressed.

"Oh, can you imagine running into Gary Barlow?" Maria sighed, biting her lip slightly.

"Unfortunately, the only Barlow's around here are the ones you run and hide _from_. Oh, no offence." The older woman had started speaking before clapping eyes on Daniel, who had come over to greet them. Even he laughed at that as he offered to show the two women to their table.

"Maria, why don't you follow him and I'll get some drinks? I just want to a word with Kate,"

The other woman had yet to take her eyes from the Carla, who casually slipped by her on her way over to where Kate was now serving behind the bar. She paused very briefly to mutter in her ear.

"Why don't you take a picture darlin'?"

Black was definitely her colour. From the form fitting dress, cropped leather jacket and knee high boots, she wore it so well. Michelle was half tempted to take her joke seriously. Narrowing her eyes slightly, as the other woman breezed by to place an order with Kate, she wandered back behind the bar herself.

"You look nice."

Carla glanced up from putting her change back into her purse and a smirk spread across her face. "Ah, you'll be wanting that picture then?"

"You know, arrogance isn't an attractive quality."

Biting her lip, Carla leant across the bar, far enough so that the moderate neckline of her dress became slightly too revealing. She allowed her hand to rest on the other woman's arm, stroking her fingertips over her skin before whispering huskily. "Do you find me unattractive, 'Chelle?"

The older brunette looked immensely satisfied at the heat that suddenly coloured other woman's cheeks, watching her throat contract as she swallowed hard, unable to speak.

"Are you two okay?"

"What?" Carla jumped slightly, snapping back to reality at the sound of her little sister's voice. "Yeah, why?"

"Just checking," Kate shrugged, placing two bottles of beer on the bar. "I don't want you both falling out again."

Michelle shot Carla a warning glance as she leant over the bar, pressing a swift kiss against her cheek, her hand lingering to trail affectionately down the other brunette's neck as she pulled away.

"Right, mum, we're about ready to start!" Ryan announced as he approached the bar, nodding at his aunt. "Did you and Maria pick a good table?"

"Yes and she'll have the perfect view of her lovely little nephew," The older woman teased, pinching the mans cheeks together in a patronising manner. He looked utterly unimpressed. Carla let out a triumphant cackle before letting him go, lightly patting the top of his head as he went to join the band back on the platform they'd set up.

Somewhat reluctantly, she left the bar to join Maria, having made Michelle promise that she'd take a break and sit down with them soon.

There was no denying the band was good, Carla joined in with the applause along with the rest of the audience, her eyes flickering over to Michelle who was watching her son on stage with pride. At the end of the first half of their act, Maria excused herself to the toilet and Carla glanced around the room, hoping to catch Michelle's eye.

"I didn't think this would be your type of thing." Ali made his presence known as he sat down on one of the two remaining seats, sipping at the pint in his hands. "You don't look the juvenile boy-band type."

Rolling her eyes, the brunette woman turned to face Michelle's biological son and raised her eyebrows. "And what type is it then, that you think I should be adhering to, Doctor?"

"Something classier than this. There's an amazing new restaurant in town. So fancy I can't even pronounce the name and I can say 'Aceruloplasminemia'"

"Bless you." Carla blinked, unsure if she even wanted to know that that word meant. The man in front of her chuckled.

"It's a rare disorder which causes iron to accumulate in the brain and other organs," He dismissed, waving his hand before continuing. "Anyway, I thought maybe we could get dinner there one evening? There's a live piano bar, fancy cocktails which I'm sure neither of us will be able to say afterwards."

Carla looked at him for a moment, confused, trying to make sense of his offer. Surely he couldn't mean-

"Just to be clear, I mean like a date."

She choked into her drink, just about managing to stop herself from spraying red wine all down the Doctors pale blue shirt. Clapping a hand over her mouth, she coughed a few times, trying to shrug off the hand he'd placed in the middle of her back.

"Look," She began hoarsely, trying to raise her voice as the music started up again. "I'm... I'm really flattered that you've shown such an interest," The woman was choosing her words carefully, wondering if the situation could be anymore awkward. "But you're my doctor, for starters, and even if you weren't, you're my best friends son."

"And those are the only reasons?" Ali pressed, unfazed at the rejection.

"She'd skin us alive." She tried to lighten the mood, make a joke of the situation.

"She'd get over it. I like you, Carla."

"I really am flattered, but I don't feel the same. You're a good looking lad, a Doctor, you're bound to find someone else. Someone your own age..."

Looking disappointed, he sat back in his seat, swigging moodily at his drink. The air around them thick with tension. Carla prayed that the line for the toilets was short.

"Hey! Are you two enjoying yourselves?" Michelle parked herself in the seat next to Carla and beamed at the pair of them. The older brunette was unsure whether she was relieved to see her or not.

"I can't listen to anymore of this drivel, I'm off. Tell Ryan I said he was rubbish." Ali muttered gruffly, a surly expression on his face as he slammed down his drink and rose from the table, making a beeline for the exit.

"What the- Ali!" Michelle cried, attempting to get up after him until she felt Carla's hand tugging on hers, pulling her back down.

"It's not your fault, or Ryan's, he's just... he's just been turned down. For a date."

"Oh," Michelle sighed sympathetically, leaning back in her chair as she fixed her eyes on the band. "Well, who turned him down? My lad's a catch!" She looked somewhat offended, wondering if she should check to see if he was okay. Carla shifted awkwardly in her seat, her lips pressed together in an apologetic grimace. She watched the younger woman's formerly saddened expression bypass shock and anger flashed in her eyes.

"He didn't?"

Carla groaned and dropped her head in her hands, covering her face with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I said no, of course I said no!"

"I'll string him up!"

"Oh, 'Chelle don't. You've only just got him back. I've told him I'm not interested and he's clearly embarrassed. I am too. Just leave it, ey?" Reaching out, she linked her fingers with Michelle's and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, brushing her thumb over the back of it.

"Why would he even ask you on a date?"

"Oh, charming! Thank you." Dropping Michelle's hand, she fell back against her chair, fixating her gaze on Ryan and the rest of his band.

"I didn't mean it like that." The younger brunettes voice was quiet, barely audible against the sound of the guitar that her son was playing. Carla ignored her, starting stonily at the stage. Michelle sighed and tried to take her hand again, but the other woman snatched it from her grip and turned her back to her.

"Thank you so much for being a wonderful audience!" Ryan's voice echoed around the room as he spoke into the microphone he was holding. "I hope you've all had a fantastic evening." He paused as an onslaught of applause and cheers filled the air, unable to stop a pleased smile from spreading across his face. "Now," He continued, holding up his hand to shush the audience, doing so with ease, clearly a natural performer. "I want you all to know that one person worked really hard to organise this night. She gave up her own tour days years ago, for her family. I think you all need to know how special your host for this evening really is. So I'm going to welcome her to the stage now; come up here, mum!"

Freezing, Michelle's mouth fell open as those who were local turned to stare at her. The room was silent, waiting. She could feel her face growing hot, nerves settling in her stomach, but there was excitement too, the muscles in her throat twitching slightly. Taking a deep breath, she stood up from her seat and paused briefly, touching an innocent kiss the side of Carla's head. "Stubborn," was all she whispered, before making her way up onto the stage.

"Oh my god, is she singing?" Maria exclaimed enthusiastically, finally returning the table as Michelle took hold of the microphone her son was offering. "The line for the toilets was huge and then I got talking to Fizz, sorry."

Carla nodded absentmindedly to Maria, her eyes focused solely on the stage in front of them as she watched Michelle, who was now shaking hands with the one of the lead singers, exchanging a few words with him before nodding.

The Bistro quietened once more as softer, acoustic notes filling the air, introducing the song that Michelle began to sing.

" _I met you in the dark, you lit me up. You made me feel as though I was enough."_

Carla felt the breath leave her body as Michelle's gaze fixed onto hers, the deep tones of her voice amplified through the room. She covered her arms to hide the goosebumps that had formed on her skin, her heart starting to speed up in her chest.

" _We danced the night away, we drank too much. I held your hair back when you were throwing up."_ A grin spread across the singing woman's face at the next line, her eyes sparkling, as though she wanted to laugh. The older brunettes eyes gleamed too, with tears, but she laughed lightly, she knew exactly what Michelle was thinking about.

She vividly remembers falling out with the younger woman at a youth club, Michelle had been trying to stop her from going home with a man she didn't know. She'd only been looking out for her, but Carla accused her of jealousy and threw a strop, claiming Michelle had ruined her chances with him before proceeding to get drunk. The older brunette hadn't known friendship, wasn't used to hearts showing her the kindness Michelle's had as she'd held her hair that night, rubbing her back gently. ' _I just didn't want anything bad to happen to you'_ she'd whispered, so sincerely that despite herself, Carla believed her. The younger woman had kept her safe that night, kept her safe ever since.

The male vocalist had joined in now, he harmonised well with the young brunette on stage, complementing her tone, but her ears were tuned only into the sounds that were leaving Michelle's lips.

" _I'm so in love with you and I hope you know. Darling your love is more than worth its weight in gold. We've come so far my dear, look how we've grown,"_

With Michelle's eyes on hers, it was taking every effort for the older woman to compose herself, to blink back the tears that had formed in her own eyes and were threatening to spill down her cheeks. She's no stranger to grand gestures, but there weren't enough designer handbags and luxury spa weekends in the world she'd ever trade this moment for.

"She's brilliant," Maria's awed voice came from across the table. "You've got quite the showbiz family, really. If Liam's inherited any of these gifts I'm signing him straight up for 'Britain's Got Talent'."

The room was silent for less than a second when Michelle finished, before an eruption of cheers began. Locals who had had too much to drink began to whistle. The brunette beamed on stage, her cheeks glowing pink with happiness as the audience clapped; it was clear she'd just had the time of her life up there. Ryan turned to hug her, before nodding behind her. The vocalist, who had introduced himself to Michelle as 'Arlo', was carrying a huge bouquet of flowers, which he handed across to the overwhelmed singer.

"They're just to say thank you from all of us, for giving us a chance to play again."

After another flurry of hugs and 'thank you's', Michelle finally managed to pick her way through the crowd (some departing, some staying on for drinks) and pushed through to the kitchen, intending to put her flowers in water. She dismissed the chef, thanking him for his time and letting him know she'd be in touch regarding more shifts and made her way over to the sink, filling a glass jug with water. No sooner had she set the jug on the counter, the kitchen doors flew open and she found herself crushed against another body; Carla had wrapped her in a hug so tight that she'd almost knocked the wind out of her.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, running her hands through Michelle's loose curls, tears spilling down her cheeks. "That song-"

"Was for you." Michelle murmured, rocking the other woman gently, pressing a light kiss to her forehead.

Glancing quickly around the kitchen, Carla tugged Michelle down the side of a large, industrial refrigerator and pressed an inflamed kiss against her awaiting lips; the younger woman's hands held her face as it deepened, causing Carla to let out a low groan.

"So you're not mad at me anymore?" Michelle whispered, lightly resting her forehead against Carla's.

"I was just being stupid."

The younger woman was about to ask her why, when they heard the kitchen door swing open again. Jumping apart, Michelle grabbed the jug from the side and made out she was just bringing them back through.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to be heading into town with the band. I've got my keys though." Ryan was stood in the doorway, a guitar case slung over his shoulder.

"Alright, be careful then." His mother nodded, pursing her lips slightly as she watched him disappear. It had quietened considerably in the Bistro, Kate and Daniel were chatting companionably behind the bar; the young girl had her phone out and was showing Daniel the video she'd captured on it.

"Good job today, guys." Michelle smiled, walking around to the front of the bar with Carla by her side, placing the flowers she was carrying on the corner of it.

"Good job yourself! I didn't know you could sing like that."

"We're a family of many talents, Daniel." Kate grinned, flicking the towel she was holding at him; he just about managed to jump out of the way in time.

 **IXIXIXI**

"So what was all that about?" Michelle called, coming out of the bedroom in a slinky black night gown. Carla was pouring the both of them a glass of wine. "You go steady with that, not too much. And don't think I can't see you rolling your eyes at me." She smirked, wrapping her arms around the other woman's waist from behind, resting her chin against her shoulder.

"I told you, I was just being daft." Carla mumbled, tilting her head so that it rested against the younger brunettes for a moment.

"If you were upset, then it isn't daft is it? So come on, because I know that you knew I only meant it was bizarre that Ali asked you out because he's my son, your doctor for that matter."

Sighing, Carla turned to face the other woman, the vulnerability apparent in her green eyes as she glanced down, trying to avoid her gaze.

"I suppose it's just-" she stopped, biting her lip her brow furrowing with embarrassment. Michelle didn't interrupt, she allowed the other woman to gather her thoughts. "I was being overly defensive. I know you didn't mean it that way but I'm not exactly catch of the day, am I? With one working kidney that isn't my own and even my factory is trying to replace me with a younger, more attractive model-"

"More attractive?" Michelle half laughed, half scoffed, gently tipping Carla's chin with her fingertip. "You outrank her a million times over."

Carla raised her eyebrows disbelievingly and this time it was Michelle who rolled hers, reaching up to cup the other woman's cheeks. "All those people who came along tonight and I only had eyes for one of them." She grazed her thumbs against prominent cheek bones and leant in to touch a firm kiss to her lips. "You looked beautiful, and you still do, even in your pyjamas. Maybe even moreso."

The older woman was clad in a button down night shirt, the plum satin bringing out the brilliant green in her eyes.

"Do you really see me like that?"

By way of answering, Michelle kissed her once more, lacing their hands together as she did so. It wasn't long before her lips parted and Carla deepened it, the tip of her tongue brushing softly against the other woman's, causing her to sigh. This time when they broke apart, Michelle continued to graze kisses along the other woman's jawline, taking them down her exposed neck when Carla tipped her head slightly, letting out a low hum as her eyes fluttered shut. The older woman brought their entwined hands to the front of her shirt, pressing Michelle's against the first button. With trembling fingers, she unfastened the first two, her lips descending to Carla's exposed collarbone.

Once the final button had been unfastened, the older brunette tipped Michelle chin and brought their lips together once more, her hands wrapping around her biceps as she began to guide her backwards towards the bedroom.

"Carla, are you sure?" She whispered, her breath heavy as the other woman allowed to satin to fall from her shoulders.

In response to her question, she kissed her again, grasping the hem of the younger brunettes night gown and pulling it from her body one fluid motion. It merged into the previously discarded satin as it hit the floor, both materials melting seamlessly together. Michelle felt the electric spiral down her spine when the other woman's hands grazed down her sides, stopping when they reached the final article of clothing on her body. She closed her eyes when Carla curled her thumbs around the waistband, reaching out to mirror the her actions. They met in a final kiss; fire coiled in the older brunettes stomach as they each stepped out of the lace material.

Carla sat back on the bed, gazing the flawless woman standing in front of her, her heart hammering hard against her chest.

"Come here..."

Michelle's eyes were fixed determinedly on Carla's as she slid smoothly into her lap, the silkiness of her skin against the other woman's already sending shivers down her spine. The other woman's hands came up to capture her face, one on her cheek and the other winding in long, silky hair as she drew the younger woman closer. Tantalisingly slow, she allowed her fingertips to fall from the brunette's cheek, lightly stroking over the curve of her chest, causing Michelle's breath to hitch.

She moved further down the firm expanse of her stomach and stopped, green eyes finding hazel, waiting silently for permission. Trembling with anticipation, Michelle gave a small nod; her arms wrapped around the other woman's neck. As Carla drew nearer to her lips, it became apparent that both women were holding their breath; and as their lips brushed, the other woman's hand dipped lower, causing Michelle to gasp against her mouth, her hips surging forward. Carla didn't move, she pressed a flurry of gentle kisses over the other woman's lips.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," The younger woman confirmed, slightly breathless and quivering from the thrill of being in such an intimate position. Bringing her closer once more, she caught her lips in a heated kiss, brushing her tongue lightly against the other woman's as her fingertips began to dance over the heated skin beneath them...

It was mesmerising. The way Michelle's hair cascaded around her shoulders as she tilted her head back, her hands tangling in she sheets beneath them. Carla immediately seized the opportunity to move forward, laying kisses over the younger woman's exposed throat, nipping lightly at her skin. The tip of her tongue ran across her clavicle, tasting a hint of salt; a light layer of perspiration had coated her frame. Carla's eyes were drawn to the younger woman's stomach, watching the way her muscles rippled as she rolled her hips more urgently against the onslaught of pleasure.

" _Carla."_ The name left Michelle's lips as a plea; a plea for what, the younger woman had no idea. She just knew she wanted her closer, wanted to feel as much of her against her skin as possible. Carla must have been able to read her mind, that was the only explanation she had as the older woman's other arm curled around her waist and she cut off her heavy panting with a searing kiss. It was an exquisite form of torture, desiring the other woman's lips firmly against her own, but in doing to she couldn't breathe, she needed-

"Carla," The name rolled off her tongue urgently. Desperately. The older brunette watched as a deep flush spread from the centre of Michelle's chest, blossoming over her neck and tinting her cheeks.

"Oh, you're so beautiful," Carla whispered, trailing her one free hand down over Michelle's blushed skin, her fingertips brushing over her thigh which suddenly spasmed; her entire frame suddenly rigid as she let out a sharp cry.

The younger woman's body fell abruptly into hers as she succumbed to the sparks of electric that travelled through her veins, igniting every nerve ending. She could feel Michelle's silky hair tickling her back, her hot breath against her neck; where she'd buried her head as Carla wrapped her arms securely around her trembling form. After allowing younger brunette a moment to catch her breath, she pulled back slightly to look at her. Her eyes were bright and dazed, skin pink and chest heaving as she peered hazily up at the older woman, who was watching her as though hardly daring to believe she was real. Carla brushed Michelle's slick hair from her forehead; she leant down to touch a soft kiss against her damp skin, still hot against her lips, while she cradled her in her arms. The younger woman's heart was finally calming down, it was aching with the complete adoration she felt for the woman whose arms held her in a way that made her feel just as precious as she was to Carla.

The dim light coming from the lamp behind Michelle highlighted the inner band of gold in the softened gaze of green eyes that bore into her own. The older brunette moved the hand that had been swirling across Michelle's back and brought it to her face, her thumb stroking against her cheek.

"I love you,"

"I know, I know I _felt_ it," Michelle whispered, leaning it to kiss her once more. "Let me make you feel that way, please..." Her hands found Carla's and she pressed them against the pillow, entwining their fingers and squeezing gently as she grazed her lips down the other woman's neck. The other brunettes eyes fluttered shut and she let out a heavy sigh, waves of pleasure rippling down her spine as soft kisses extended across her collarbone and down over her chest.

"Remember, if you need me to stop..." Michelle whispered, trailing off as she caught Carla's gaze, conveying the rest of the sentence across to her with a reassuring smile. Nodding, the other woman pulled the younger brunette down beside her, hooking her leg across her body; Michelle took this as her cue to slide her hand between both of their frames, her fingertips making light circles against the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, not quite where Carla needed her to be. She hadn't received a response from her yet.

"I know, I know 'Chelle," She murmured, leaning in to steal a heated kiss from the other woman. "Please, it's okay, I want you."

And finally, she had her. It was like something she'd been waiting for, like coming home. A hiss of delight sounded from her lips; she'd sucked a in a sharp breath through gritted teeth as deft fingertips discovered the slicked skin before them and brought her own hand to her mouth, biting down on the back of it. Using her remaining arm, Michelle lightly batted Carla's hand away and replaced it with her lips, capturing the other woman's in a tender kiss. She continued to deliver them to her, reassuringly, lovingly; until the heaviness of Carla's breath meant that she couldn't keep her mouth closed long enough to receive them. The older brunettes arms slid around Michelle's neck, her fingers winding in the silky locks at the base of her skull, gripping at the roots as she let out a throaty gasp, encouraging the other woman to continue.

" _Michelle,"_ The husky whisper, the rare use of her full name in Carla's impassioned state cause goosebumps to erupt over Michelle's body and all she wanted to do was show more love. Leaning over her trembling form, the younger brunette strung a line of kisses across Carla's shoulder, scattering them down her sternum. Feeling hands tighten in her hair, Michelle's mouth brushed over the subtle swell of her chest. One hand left the back of her head and flew up to grip hold of the pillow and with the one that wasn't hidden between their bodies, Michelle reached it with her own and laced their fingers together. Encouraged by the husky whimper that fell from the other woman's lips, the younger brunette parted her own and allowed her tongue to taste the skin beneath them. At once, Carla's grip tightened so hard around Michelle's hand that her knuckles whitened and the younger woman looked up in time to see her eyes snap shut, her back arching from the bed. It seemed the older woman had stopped breathing all together, full reddened lips parted as she froze, her muscles twitching, the other woman's name forming in her throat as she finally let out a husky breath.

"' _Chelle,"_ The moment Carla collapsed back onto the bed, the younger brunette was by her side, cupping hot, reddened cheeks in her hands.

"I love you, too," Michelle pressed soft kisses across her damp forehead, grazing her lips down the bridge of her nose before meeting the full, red ones before her, repeating the statement breathlessly. "I love you, too."

"Stay close to me." Carla breathed, resting her open mouth against the other woman's tanned shoulder, her breath still fiery against the Michelle's smooth skin.

"I'm not going anywhere,"

Sliding herself down next to the older woman, she wrapped her arms tightly around her still slightly trembling frame, feeling Carla's arms wrap themselves securely around her own waist as she mirrored her actions.

Touching their foreheads together, the two women held their gazes as intensely as they held one another. Soft fingertips brushed over satiny skin as the older woman brushed hand along Michelle's shoulder, stroking down her side and against her thigh before creeping along her back. She sighed into the touch, leaning in to press a light kiss to the other woman's lips. Reflecting her actions, her own hands began to glide down Carla's spine, caressing the other woman's skin in a way that was enticing and comforting all in one. They shouldn't have been able to get any closer, pressed against one another's damp skin, the air hot and humid around them as their breath mingled, but Michelle still shuffled further against her, feeling the other woman her hold, their lips a hairs breadth apart. Even in the warmth, the green eyes gazing down adoringly into hazel caused a shiver to pulse through Michelle's body; her heart seemed to swell, with every beat her love for the other woman radiated in her veins. Maybe her heart was beating but Carla was stealing her air.

It was different now, but Carla wondered had the change been there since the younger woman had kissed her while they danced together. Could she have even made an attempt to forget what kissing her and been like, if the other woman had thought nothing of it the next morning? ' _He's just not you'_ She could hear the words in her mind as softly and clearly as when the Michelle had first spoken them to her, the grief tainting hazel eyes had caused a tear in her heart that bled the other woman's pain. That's when things had changed, when she decided the younger woman would no longer suffer by her own hand and if she had to suffer at all, Carla wasn't going to let it be alone. Bringing her hand up, she stroked over Michelle's cheek, brushed lightly over the ever fading bruise, before touching her lips against the damaged skin.

"Are you okay?" Michelle whispered, finally breaking the silence. The other woman gave a small nod, the dull ache in her thighs reminding her pleasurably of the way they'd flexed and strained in trying to deepen the other woman's touch. She felt the corners of her lips twitch at the memory. "I know it isn't what either of us are used to but-"

"It was perfect. _You_ are perfect." A blush tinted the younger woman's cheeks at Carla's words and she manoeuvred her hand between their bodies to find the other brunettes, lacing their fingers together. "In fact I'm almost a little suspicious. Have you done that before?"

"No, not at all. My sons were products of a biblical miracle." The sarcastic reply tumbled from Michelle's lips before she could stop it, causing them both to chuckle as Carla gave her a teasing nudge.

"Alright, sassy. You know what I mean,"

"I could ask you the same question, you knew exactly what to do," She whispered, drawing her lips closer to the older woman's.

"I think I just know you," Carla replied simply, tucking a strand of Michelle's hair behind her ear, tracing her fingertip along her jawline. Nodding in agreement, the younger woman sealed the gap between their lips, lingering for a moment before whispering.

"I told you before, no one gets me like you."

 **[Thank you for reading. This was super hard for me to write and I was so worried I'd make it cheesy and horrible. So a huge thank you to Han (TheLyricsAreMyStory) and Shell for assuring me and giving me lots of support and encouragement! And thank you to all of you lovely people who have left such praising reviews, it makes all this worthwhile!]**


	10. Chapter 10

**Tw: Explicit scenes, emotional scenes, some violence.**

Carla's mind woke before her eyes opened. She was so comfortable, so warm, wrapped up in soft sheets that caressed her bare skin as she stretched luxuriously. Every single muscle in her body seemed relaxed, she felt weightless. Her hair tickled her cheek as she turned her head to the side, finally allowing her eyes to flicker open.

Sat up in the space next to her, leaning against the headboard, Michelle was wrapped in her silk dressing gown with a laptop balanced on her lap. The soft glow of the screen illuminated her features; the slight crease of her brow, curve of her nose, the way her lips were pursed in concentration as she used her fingertip to scroll down whatever page she was looking at. She watched the way her lower lip suddenly curled inward as she caught it between her teeth, her dark eyes scanning the screen as she read. A small smile crept across Carla's lips, warmth radiating in her chest as she reached out, lightly placing her hand on top of Michelle's. The other woman's gaze left the bright screen almost instantly and, catching the adoring smile that was spread across the older brunettes lips, she returned it, lacing her fingers through Carla's.

"Morning, you. How long have you been awake?" The slight huskiness in her voice due to her sleepy state caused the hair on the back of Michelle's neck to stand.

"Only about an hour." She murmured, brushing her thumb against their entwined hands. "You looked peaceful, I didn't want to wake you."

"What've you been doing?" Holding the sheets against her frame as she sat up, she shuffled closer to the other woman, resting her head against her shoulder. "You're looking flats?"

Pictures of questionably furnished living rooms were plastered across the glowing screen; Carla's eyes settled on a particularly grotesque looking floral sofa and she scrunched her nose up.

"Well, I need to find somewhere to live don't I? This isn't my home." Michelle bit her lip, using the hand that wasn't connecting to Carla's to press the arrow key, scrolling by a few more properties.

"There's an apartment the floor above this one that's going free." Carla informed her.

"I can't afford a place like this alone. Whose living over the kebab shop, now?"

"Ugh, no, you can't live there even if it is free. You said the smell drifted up and made you sick. You don't have to live on your own, you know?" Carla shrugged, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "I've got to leave Roy's at some point haven't I?"

Michelle glanced across at her.

"You mean...move in together again?" She looked somewhat shocked and Carla's she widened, suddenly realising what she might have insinuated.

"Well, I mean- we did before and-I don't mean- I'm not trying to rush anything I just meant sort of... Well, kind of like flat mates? But not... I mean we could have separate rooms or- oh, god, we haven't half complicated things."

To her surprise and relief, Michelle burst out laughing, having been watching the older woman stumble and choke on her words with a bemused expression on her face, her eyebrows raised. She was still chuckling as she turned her head to press a quick kiss against the side of Carla's.

"Calm down, Carla, I knew what you meant." She grinned, earning herself a gentle nudge from the other brunette. "I think it's a great idea."

"Yeah?" Carla's eyes lit up, a pleased smile spreading across her lips.

"Yes. I'm just shocked we didn't think about it sooner, really. It makes sense, we've pretty much been living together since...well, everything happened. Plus it means I only have to drag all of my things up another floor."

"Well then, we can ring and ask about it later. That's flat hunting sorted." Letting go of Michelle's hand, she placed her fingertips against the lid of the laptop and closed it slowly. She slid it from the other woman's knees and carefully set it down on the floor; her leg hooking over Michelle's lap as she moved to straddle the other woman. Wrapping both arms around her neck, the sheet she'd previously been wrapped up in slid from her body. The muscles in Michelle's throat rippled as she swallowed hard, her eyes meeting Carla's.

The older woman leant forward until their foreheads lightly bumped.

"Hey, you..." Michelle murmured, tilting her head to capture the other woman's lips in a slow kiss, the tip of her tongue lightly grazing against a full, lower one, causing Carla to let out a quiet hum of approval.

"Last night..." The younger woman whispered against her lips, grazing her fingertips down the smooth expanse of Carla's back as she spoke. "It was okay, wasn't it?"

" _Okay?"_ Carla laughed incredulously, her breath hitching when the other brunette's hand stroked across her side, the pad of her thumb rubbing light circles against her hipbone. "'Chelle, it was amazing. _You_ were amazing. You knew exactly what I wanted."

Grinning at the blush that coloured Michelle's cheeks, she reconnected their lips and kissed her again, shuffling back slightly so she could guide the younger woman down against the pillows.

"Well you certainly seem to know what you want this morning." Michelle teased, responding eagerly against the other woman's mouth, humming in satisfaction when Carla lightly nibbled her lower one.

"Hmm...And I always get what I want."

"Is that so?"

Carla's body tensed; Michelle's hand was lightly grazing down the crease of her inner thigh. A coil tightened in her stomach. Her eyes fluttered shut.

"Carla," Michelle whispered, her other hand reaching up, pushing the older woman's hair, which had been tickling her cheeks, out of the way so she could see her face. She cupped her cheek, stroking her thumb over her brow bone. Leaning in to deliver a soft kiss to her lips, she raised her head slightly from the pillow, following along Carla's jawline before she reached her ear; Michelle nipped her earlobe lightly, breathing into it: "Show me what you want."

She felt Carla shift her body, grip her wrist, felt the delicate skin against her fingertips, heard the sharp gasp that left the other woman's lips as they were suddenly enveloped in heat. The older brunette rolled her hips once, her eyes screwing shut as she bit back the groan that was trying to work its way from the back of her throat.

"Look at me." The other woman's eyes opened, intense green bore into her own. So many memories surfaced to the from of Michelle's mind at the others woman's blazed look; how soft her voice had been the first time she'd called her baby, the way her arms comforted her each time she'd offered her a place to stay after another heartbreak, telling her she was perfect, the woman had even bought her a pub, nothing seemed too much. So many acts of love, it seemed obvious now they should partake in this one together. "Don't you dare hold back."

Carla's grip left her wrists, both of her hands falling either side Michelle's body as she rocked and gasped, entwining her fingertips in the sheets beneath them. Her head dipped, deep brown locks falling around her face once more, hiding her from view, but the younger woman reached out to tip her chin once more, pulling her in for a passionate kiss.

She could feel the vibrations from the quiet whimpers that Carla couldn't keep back against her mouth as their tongues brushed together. Michelle's hand was now tangled in the other woman's dark locks, keeping her close as they continued to kiss fiercely, nipping at one another's lips.

"'Chelle," A sharp cry left Carla's lips as her hips bore down against Michelle, her body moving with more urgency, pushing down against the heel of the other woman's hand. "'Chelle, _please."_

"I know," The younger woman whispered, catching her chin once more, their lips barely grazing. Carla's breath was hot and heavy against her face. "Just stay with me a second."

The older brunette opened her eyes, it was clear she was making an extreme effort to keep them in focus. Her skin was shining with perspiration, her cheeks pink, hair damp at the roots and now staying in place where Michelle has pushed it back from her face.

"I can't take my eyes off you, like this. You're a whole new level of beautiful."

Carla's eyes filled with tears, part emotion, part desperation, her breath leaving her in heavy, erratic gasps.

"I love you so much." Michelle whispered, keeping her eyes fixed on the woman above her, preparing herself to soak up as much of the moment as she could as she curled her fingers.

The effect was instantaneous. Her body dropped against Michelle's and she screamed into her shoulder, biting down against her skin in a way that might have bordered on painful, if it hadn't sent such a thrill of excitement down the younger woman's spine. One of the older brunettes hands had flown above the both of them, grasping hold of the headboard, the other finding purchase once more around Michelle's wrist, holding her in place as she spasmed against the onslaught of pleasure that was tearing through her body.

Michelle ran her hand through Carla's hair, trailing her fingertips down her back, rubbing across her skin affectionately as she trembled against her, murmuring incoherently into her shoulder. She was able to wrap both arms firmly around the older woman when she finally released her; still quivering as her hand dropped from the headboard, her cheek hot against Michelle's chest when she laid against the younger woman.

She lay for a moment, catching her breath, her muscles still twitching as Michelle's fingertips continued to glide against her skin, it seemed every nerve ending was still over sensitised to even the lightest of the other woman's touch. Her own hand grazed over Michelle's stomach, sliding the dressing gown even either apart, beginning to press heavy, open-mouthed kisses against her skin. The younger woman's breath hitched, a soft whimper escaping from her throat. Carla allowed the tip of her tongue to poke out from between her lips, tracing a slow, wet line over the swell of her chest. The younger woman's back arched, her hand tangling and tightening in Carla's hair.

Even with Michelle's breath heavy in her ears, there was no mistaking the sound of the apartment door slamming. Flying apart, Carla placed her finger over her lips as they both froze, listening to the footsteps in the kitchen.

"Ryan?" Michelle called out tentatively, wriggling from underneath Carla and quickly tugging her dressing gown tight around her body. "Ry! Is that you?"

A pained groan came from the opposite direction, her sons gruff voice calling out in annoyance. "Mum, no offence man but if I get out of this bed I'll throw up so unless it catches fire, I'm not leaving it."

Heart thumping in her chest, Michelle jumped up and approached the bedroom door, slowly tugging it open.

"I'm sorry, I needed my uniform..."

He looked cleaner this time. He'd shaved, dressed in jeans and a shirt, looked like he'd gotten enough sleep. There was a small white strip across his nose, his eyes still heavily bruised. Swallowing her fear, she opened her mouth to speak up, but he beat her to it.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what I did, Michelle. I know you probably hate me and I don't blame you, I mean the whole street hates me. I just have to fight off Steve-" He broke off, noticing the fear still evident in her eyes. The bruise on her face still marred her skin.

"I'm sober and I'm clean. I've been staying with a different friend. I've spoken to a Doctor. I'm getting help and I'm going back to work..."

Still unable to speak, Michelle gave a small nod, folding her arms across her chest. She suddenly felt oddly vulnerable stood in front of the man in only her dressing gown. Robert bit his lip, looking as nervous as the brunette woman felt.

"Did I wake you?"

Glancing down at her attire, she shook her head, speaking for the first time.

"No, I've been up a while. I've...uh, I think I've found somewhere else to live. I'm going to sort it as soon as Aidan's funeral-" Her words got caught in her throat, she couldn't complete the sentence.

Cautiously, as though approaching a frightened animal, Robert took a couple of steps closer, his eyes shining with sympathy. "If you still want your job..."

Michelle's eyes snapped up to meet his.

"I can keep it?"

"It's the least I can offer you. Did you know we're in the paper this morning?"

"We?" Michelle frowned, confused.

"Well, the Bistro." He shrugged, shuffling his feet slightly. "We're not front page or anything, but there's a section in there about how much everyone enjoyed the live band night you organised. I'm hoping that it's something you'd be able to help out with again in the future?"

Nodding once more, Michelle glanced down awkwardly at the carpet. When she looked up again, the man was much closer in proximity, causing her to jump back in shock.

"Michelle," He sighed softly, reaching out to place his hands on her upper arms, lightly stroking against the silk they were clad in. "I truly am sorry for what I put you through. I know it's not an excuse, but my intention was never to do that to you."

"I know," She whispered, hating herself for how her voice shook. Taking a deep breath, she met his gaze and continued. "I know you didn't. And I wasn't the one who told Steve, or the rest of the street."

"You had every right to, you could have gone to the police. I'd have deserved it."

Again, Michelle wasn't sure what she was supposed to say to this, so she decided to divert the topic of conversation.

"You said you needed your uniform?"

"Yeah, I did message you. I thought if you knew I needed to come around then you could avoid seeing me, if you'd wanted to."

Michelle was shocked at the small pang of guilt that settled in her stomach as it dawned on her the exact reason why she hadn't glanced at her phone that morning. She tried to shake the feeling off, she knew she'd done nothing wrong. Robert misconstrued her silence. His hands moved from her arms to cup her face, tears forming in his eyes as his thumb grazed just below the bruise he'd caused her.

"I know I've behaved unforgivably," He whispered, a tear sliding down his cheek as he took in her face. "But I would never do that again. Ever. Michelle, I still love-"

"Get your hands off her."

The pair of them whipped around. Having thrown her night shirt over her frame, Carla was meant against the door, a thunderous look in her eyes as she regarded the man stood over Michelle with nothing but disgust. Robert dropped his hands as though scalded, Carla could almost see the cogs whirring in his brain as he regarded both of the women, his face screwing up in confusion.

"What're you doing here?"

"She didn't want to wake Roy. Last night finished late." Michelle answered before Carla could. The older brunette raised her eyebrow at her, but she merely shook her head in response. "Robert go and get what you need..."

Narrowing her eyes as the man passed her, Carla walked over to Michelle, eyeing her questioningly.

"What the hell was that?" She hissed, throwing a backwards glance towards the bedroom, listening to the man rattling around the furniture.

"He came back for more of his work stuff." Michelle shrugged, still in a state of shock. She'd expected to be scared, even angry, but she couldn't work out how she was feeling. There hadn't been a spark of any sort when she'd stared up into his eyes, there was a hint of sadness in her chest for what it had dwindled down to.

"Why was he touching you? Was he threatening?"

The younger brunette shook her head again, perching on the arm of the sofa, chewing on her bottom lip.

"Do you still love him?"

Before she could answer, he came sauntering out of the bedroom with a bag over his shoulder, nodding to Michelle.

"This should keep me going until the end of the week. Unless you want to change anything, the rota can stay the same?" He offered, purposely avoiding Carla's gaze. Neither of them had forgotten their previous altercation. At Michelle's nod, he gave her a small smile. "Maybe we could talk properly when you're next in? You know, privately."

Carla scoffed.

"Like she's going to be going anywhere alone with you."

"I'm not being funny, but this isn't your business, Carla." Robert suddenly snapped, throwing a venomous glare in her direction. His actions caused the fear to ignite slightly in Michelle's chest.

"I'm making it my business when it concerns the safety of my- my best friend." The older brunette didn't seem fazed my his anger at all. In fact, she reached down and defiantly took Michelle's hand, lacing their fingers together.

"Best friend? You waited until she was at her most vulnerable to sink your claws into her."

"Hey, I've got my own mind! And she didn't sink her claws into me. She's been here for me." Michelle instantly jumped to Carla's defence and it sent a wave of warmth throughout the older brunette's chest.

"So there is something going on? I mean a one night stand I could maybe get my head around, but this-"

"Is none of your business!" Carla cut across him, firing up instantly, despite Michelle squeezing her hand in protest. "And don't you dare try and cheapen what she means to me because you have no idea."

"Come off it, Carla, you weren't there for her like I was! When you'd shacked up in Devon without a care in the world. You only came back because you needed a new kidney."

The raw cruelty of his words stung the air around them, the older brunettes eyes sparking with anger. She was shaking, wondering how on Earth someone so vile had managed to worm his way into a heart as kind and beautiful as the woman beside her, who now had her hand in a vice like grip.

"Do you want to know what I was here for? I was here when you raised your fist and hit my best friend in the face!" She let go of Michelle's hand and fearlessly strode up to him, pointing her finger at him warningly. "Now I have no idea why Michelle saved your business, but you'd better thank your lucky stars that she did." Carla's tone dropped dangerously, her lip curling menacingly as she growled at him through gritted teeth. "She's willing to work past it, for the sake of your business, for the sake of not bringing anymore trouble to you. But you hurt the person I love most in this world and I am _never_ going to forgive you for that. I'm not happy she still wants to work with you, however I respect her decision and I'm going to support her, so let me tell you: if I find out you've caused her even an ounce of unnecessary upset, I'll be finding more pieces of you to break. Pieces you didn't even know could break. Now take your stuff and get the hell out."

They glared at one another, Carla's eyes were narrowed, as though daring him to defy her. Heaving his bag over his shoulder, he tore his eyes away from the brunette woman in front of him and settled them on Michelle, his expression softened but still determined.

"I am sorry. And I will fight for you, I know we haven't lost what we had."

"You'll have a fight in a minute if you don't sling your hook." Ryan's voice sounded from where he was leaning against the doorframe, causing both Michelle and Carla to jump.

"Don't worry, I'm leaving." Robert murmured, turning his back on the trio and heading towards the door.

"Why didn't you tell me he'd turned up? I'd have got out of bed for that!"

Michelle didn't answer, her dark eyes had glazed over with tears and spilled down her cheeks. Carla sighed gently, walking over to the younger woman, kissing the side of her head before wrapping her up in a soothing hug.

"It's okay, it's okay baby," She murmured softly, rocking her as she ran her fingers through silky hair.

"Did he hurt her?" Ryan asked, looking relieved when Carla shook her head over Michelle's shoulder.

"No, he had a go at me but I gave him what-for."

"Good on you," He yawned, bringing his hand up to cover his mouth. Michelle's son looked pale, his hair was sticking up in off directions, eyes slightly out of focus. Carla had the distinct feeling he hadn't quite gotten over the effects of the alcohol from the night before.

"Ryan, go back to bed. I've got enough on with the factory and looking after your mum without having to clean up your vomit."

He didn't need telling twice, although he assured the two women that if they needed anything, to give him a shout. Carla took a step back from Michelle and cupped her cheeks, meeting her teary gaze.

"Are you okay?"

The younger woman shrugged, leaning against the back of the sofa. "I don't know."

"Michelle." The use of her full name caught her attention, Carla looked scared suddenly, her eyes glassy, her lips pressed together as she inhaled through her nose deeply, preparing herself to speak again. "Michelle, do you still love Robert? Because if-if you do...If this isn't what you want- I won't fight to win you, you're not some first place prize at a fair; you're this amazing, incredible woman and I'll respect whatever you choose, whoever-" The words caught in her throat, her lower lip trembling slightly. She was gazing at the floor, unable to look her in the face. Wrought with nerves, her hands twisted together in front of her, terrified of hearing the answer.

"It scares me," Michelle whispered, her voice shaking. "How much I don't feel for him anymore. We had a whole future planned and now there's just nothing there." She reached down and pulled apart Carla's tangled hands, holding them gently in her own. "What scares me more is how deeply I feel for you."

The older woman glanced up, the worry that had clouded her features ebbing away somewhat.

"Did you really think there was even a chance I'd want anyone else, now? After what just happened between us?"

Carla bit her lip, taking a step closer to the younger woman. Leaving one hand entwined with hers, she let the other go so that she could curl her fingertips around Michelle's neck, grazing her thumb over the area just below her ear. "I just thought... You didn't seem keen on telling him about us..."

"That's only because we haven't told our family yet. After he caught us the other day, I didn't want to risk upsetting him further."

It made sense, Carla could see that, but the uncertainty that had fogged in forest green eyes hadn't completely cleared.

"Stop doubting me and stop doubting yourself. You're not an 'option', Carla, you're the only person I want to be with." Closing the remainder of the gap between them, Michelle leant forward and kissed her gently. Carla responded tentatively, holding the younger woman's lower lip between her own as they lingered against one another. "We'll tell people," Michelle whispered, her breath warm against the other woman's face. "After the funeral, after everyone has had a chance to clear their heads."

 **IXIXIXI**

Sandwiched between Kate and Maria in the Bistro, Michelle hadn't touched her drink, or the plate of food Maria had got her. She hardly thought a stale sausage roll and a handful of crisps was going to subdue the fact that she'd just buried another member of her family.

The morning of Aidan's funeral had dawned as dull and grey as the sadness that settled in Michelle's chest. Carla hadn't even been in bed when she'd opened her eyes. She knew the older woman was stressed, but she hadn't sat with her during the service and now she seemed to have disappeared altogether. Her other son hadn't even turned up. The feeling that people were suddenly disappearing was causing panic to burn in the back of her throat. She had half a mind to get up and leave, everyone else seemed to have. Glancing around to see where the hell her other son had gotten to, she was started to see a blur of black advancing towards the table.

"Mum! Mum, you better come outside. It's Carla and Alya." Ryan skidded to a halt in front of the booth she was sat in with Kate and Maria, his tone urgent.

The three women exchanged looks, before scrambling from their seats and hurrying towards the exit. It wasn't a pretty sight. Out on the street, halfway between the Factory and Bistro, Carla and Alya were locked in a violent tussle. The older woman had the younger in a complicated headlock, her fist grasping a handful of her hair.

"How _could_ you do that! Today of all days you devious little bitch!" The older woman fumed, proceeding to drag her further away from the factory; both of them stumbling on the cobbled path.

"Get off me you mad cow!" The insult only made Carla tug harder on her hair, both of them stumbling slightly on the cobbles as they struggled. Twisting free, Alya managed to aim a slap across the older woman's cheek with a resounding crack. In retaliation, Carla launched at her again, the two of them falling to the floor where she straddled the supposed new factory owner and raised her fist, about to deliver a swift smack to the other woman.

"No! Carla stop it!"

Finding herself suddenly seized around the waist, she felt a tug which pulled her back from Alya; Kate and Michelle had grasped hold of her and were attempting to pull the women apart. In a bid to help, Maria was helping Alya to her feet, catching her shoulder should she try and go for Carla again.

"Let me go! I'm going to finish her!" The older brunette screamed, struggling madly against Kate's grip.

"Carla, stop it. She's not worth it!" Michelle tried to reason with her, though it appeared she hadn't even heard her.

"She changed the locks on _my_ Factory!"

" _What?"_ Michelle looked outraged, a split second of madness had her wondering whether or not to just let Carla go again.

"The Factory is _mine_ now, Carla. And I'm not scared of you. So do your worst."

The other woman's face was red with fury, her teeth bared menacingly as she let out a growl of frustration; finally breaking herself free from her younger sisters hold, she lunged for Alya again. This time, it was Ryan who stepped in and grabbed hold of her, outranking her strength despite her protest.

"Don't do anything you'll regret, Aunty Carla. Come on just walk away."

"You come near me again and I'll knock that smug look from your face permanently!" She shouted over her nephews shoulder, panting heavily as she watched Alya turn back towards the Factory, swinging the new keys victoriously between her fingers. Only when Alya was safely inside Underworld did Ryan finally let Carla go. She tugged the blazer she was wearing firmly around herself, brushing dirt from the sleeves and straightening the collar.

"Come on, let's get you home." Michelle approached the older woman cautiously, eyeing the pink hand mark that was imprinted on her cheek. She tried to place her arm around Carla's shoulder, but she shrugged it off huffily, snatching her bag from Kate who had picked it up from the floor.

The short journey back to the flat didn't seem to calm her even slightly. Carla threw her bag into the table and let out a frustrated cry, talking more to herself than anyone else about how she was going to go back out there and strangle Alya.

"Look I know how you feel but this isn't the way to get what you want." Michelle tried to reason with the furious brunette, whose eyes flashed dangerously, anger setting green hues alight.

"And what do you propose I do? Roll over and let her take what I've spent practically a decade building up?" Pushing a hand through her hair in stress, she paced around the kitchen area, rage radiating in her chest.

"No of course not, but flying at her all guns blazing in the middle of the street won't do any good-"

"-And how do you know what'll do any good and what won't?" She snapped, rounding on the other woman. "You don't know about business, you don't care about it, you-"

"Don't you dare tell me I don't care about the factory!" Michelle stormed, firing up instantly at the accusation. "I used my own wedding fund to pay your staff so I could keep that place afloat while you were in L.A."

"Oh give over, you we're saving your own skin as much as mine, you walked out in the end didn't you?"

The younger brunettes mouth fell open disbelievingly, too hurt at the comment to rationalise the fact that Carla was clearly lashing out because she was upset herself.

"Walked out? I was pushed out! Because despite everything I'd done, your fella was more important!"

"Oh for Gods _sake,_ Michelle!" The older brunette shouted, throwing her hands up in frustration. She froze. She'd caught it even though the younger woman had tried to hide it. As soon as her hands had flown out, Michelle had flinched, jumping back, shoulders tensing as though bracing herself for a blow. Carla's eyes widened, horrified at the accidental insinuation.

"'Chelle...I wouldn't...You know I wouldn't," Her voice was suddenly softer, desperate, as she took a step towards the other woman, who looked just as shocked at her own actions. Reaching out, she tried to catch Michelle's hand but the younger brunette stepped back, picking up her own bag from the table.

"Don't. I'm going to go to work."

Feeling guilt settle in the pit of her stomach, she watched Michelle abruptly turn and leave the apartment, blinking back tears as the door slammed shut.

 **IXIXIXI**

Looking throughly miserable and perched on a stool at the bar in the Rovers Return, Carla swilled the remaining dregs of red wine around the bottom of her glass, a heavy sigh leaving her lips. Shoulders slumped, she had one elbow resting on the bar, her face pressed against her hand. Michelle hasn't answered any of her messages and she was sure the younger woman didn't want to see her. She'd called into the Bistro first, only to be informed by Daniel that the other woman was busy solving a crisis in the kitchen. He'd looked somewhat shifty as he told her; she had a feeling that the only problem Michelle had was with her.

"Well you look as bad as I feel. How's your face?" Ryan's voice jolted her from her thoughts and she turned to face him, looking completely dejected. "You and her are like carbon copies." He added with a chuckle, taking a seat next to her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she's slumped over the bar across the road looking all lost and forlorn."

"We had a row," Carla mumbled, draining the droplets in her glass before nodding to Sarah, signalling she'd like another. "Oh, and whatever Ry's having."

"You don't say." Sarcasm dripped from his words as he spoke. "And I'll just have a lemonade, thanks. I feel a bit rough, I had a skinful last night."

Carla took a large gulp of her drink the moment it was placed in front of her; her head was already starting to swim.

"You both ought to sign up for the Community Centre's 'Amateur Dramatics' classes, you'd give Angelina Jolie a run for her money. Talk about a pair of drama Queens."

She couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth at his words, letting out a quiet laugh before turning to face him.

"You're so much like her, aren't you? All that sass and sarcasm." Carla grinned, reaching over to give him a gentle prod in the shoulder. He looked pleased at the statement, though tried to hide his smile by taking a drink from his glass.

"Yeah, well," He shrugged, setting it back down on the bar when he'd finished. "Just don't get us confused and start making eyes across me at the table."

"What?" The brunette woman froze, feeling the air leave her lungs.

"Oh, come on. I've seen the way you look at her."

"What're you talking about?"

The man raised his eyebrow.

"You're not fooling me, I've seen you fall for enough of my relatives. The glances, the smiles, holding hands; you never put her down. I mean you've spent every night at mum's flat since that loser-"

"It's not- I'm not-" She could feel panic rising hotly in her chest, burning the back of her throat. "She's my best friend." Carla finished stupidly, as though that was a sufficient enough explanation. They should have been more careful, she should have been more careful. Of course he'd have been bound to pick up on a few things. So caught up in her fear, she hadn't even realised that her nephew didn't seem disgusted or angry, in fact he seemed rather nonchalant about what he was suggesting.

"I mean it's fine, but the mood swings are horrendous. Picking someone as stubborn and as melodramatic as yourself-"

"I haven't picked anyone! You've got the wrong end of the stick, Ry, what you're suggesting is-"

"That I'm going senile or having hallucinations? Or was that your clone I saw kissing-"

There was a loud clatter. Carla had lunged forward and clapped her hand over his mouth, knocking over her drink in the process.

"Ryan!" She hissed, her eyes darting worriedly around the room. He smirked against her palm, his eyes alight with triumph. The brunette woman looked terrified, her hand trembling slightly as she removed it from over his mouth, completely ignoring the fact that red wine was spreading across the bar and dripping down onto the floor.

"It was when you made us breakfast. I came out of the bathroom twice. I made more noise the second time round." He answered the question she hadn't even asked.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Carla took a deep breath, trying to calm her heart which had started to thump obnoxiously against her chest.

"You've known that long? Why are you only just mentioning this now?"

"Because it's not my business, it's yours." He explained, as though it was obvious. "Except when you're both like this, because your misery is catching and I have to live there too. For the foreseeable anyway." Her nephew was smiling again, but she was too shocked at having been discovered to return it.

"We weren't deliberately lying to anyone," She felt as though she needed to give some kind of explanation. "It's just with everything that's been happening and we didn't really know ourselves what...what we were. Are." Looking worried, she took another quick scan of the room, making sure they weren't being overheard by any of the motor mouths that usually hung around in the evenings.

"Like I said, it's your business. Just be careful, yeah? If anything happened and you couldn't even be friends anymore, I don't think she'd get over it. Or you." He finished his drink before slipping off the stool and plucking his jacket from the side. "Right, I'm off to that new 'Speed Daal' place. I saw they were hiring and if I'm sticking around, I need to be able to stand my round don't I?"

Finally noticing the mess she'd made on the bar, Carla stood her glass upright and shook the dregs of red liquid from her black leather jacket, tutting at her own clumsiness.

"Ryan, we'll talk about this okay? When we're both ready."

Her nephew gave a small nod, shuffling forward to giver her a quick, one armed hug.

"Just go across and sort out whatever it was that made you row. Life's too short, right?"

"Absolutely right. Good luck with that job!" She called, watching him leave the building, unsure whether she still felt panicked about the situation or not.

 **IXIXIXI**

The flat was dark when Carla opened the door, the vivid blackness assaulting her vision after the bright lights of the corridor. Feeling around for the switch, she managed to bump her hip against the corner of the marble worktop, which caused a hissed curse of pain to escape her lips. Having gotten to the Bistro, she'd found she'd left it a little too late and that Daniel had sent Michelle home. Apparently she'd been upset. Of course she had, no one had wanted her to return to work that day. Assuming that Michelle had gone to bed, her heart sank a little; she really didn't want them to sleep on an argument, not when she hadn't even had the chance to apologise to the younger woman. A quiet little sniff sounded somewhere in the room and she jumped, her hand flying to the wall and grappling around for the switch once more. With the room suddenly basked in light, she saw that Michelle was on the sofa, an empty glass on the coffee table in front of her, her eyes red.

"'Chelle?" Carla approached her cautiously, taking an few tentative steps towards her. When the other woman didn't object, she took a seat next to her, slipping an arm around her quivering shoulders. "What're you doing sat alone in the dark, ey? Come here,"

Michelle allowed her to pull her against her chest and Carla pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her head, holding her tighter when the woman let out a small sob.

"Hey, it's okay," She whispered, laying more kisses against her temple. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for what I said, for shouting at you."

"You were just lashing out because you were hurt, it's understandable."

"But not excusable. You're upset too, and 'Chelle-" She moved her hands to cup the younger woman's cheeks "-look at me, darlin' because this is so important," Pausing again, she made sure teary hazel eyes were on hers, before continuing. "I would never hurt you. You do know that, don't you?"

"I know you wouldn't," Michelle assured her, bringing her own hands to rest against the other woman's forearms; she was still holding her face, her thumb grazing lightly over the bruise on her cheek. It had faded so much that only the outer edge of it was now visible and once she'd applied her make up, it disappeared altogether. "I don't even know why I jumped like that, I knew you weren't going to hurt me. I knew. I'm sorry-"

"Hey don't you apologise, you've nothing to be sorry for. I was so vile to you." Moss green eyes glossed over with guilt, like dew costing the first leaves of spring. Hurting Michelle went against everything her heart was beating for. "I'm the one who's sorry, okay? So, so, sorry."

Michelle leant towards her, resting their foreheads together. "I know you are and you haven't hurt me. I know you didn't mean it, so please don't give yourself a hard time. You've already had enough upset today."

"I don't deserve you."

The younger woman frowned, tilting her head to the side as she regarded the woman in front of her. Letting go of her arm, she moved her hand instead to rest against her neck before leaning forward, kissing her gently. The soft cushion of Carla's lips against her own instantly loosened the fist of grief that had tightened itself around her heart. "Don't say things like that," She whispered, her fingertips lightly stroking over her skin. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Michelle felt herself being enveloped into the other woman's arms, feeling her being pulled against her chest once more as Carla leant back on the cushions, her fingertips brushing through the younger woman's hair.

"'Chelle, Ryan knows..." She murmured, so quietly that it took Michelle a few seconds to work out what she had said. "But he's okay about it."

"What?" Glancing up at Carla with wide, fearful eyes, she silently begged the other woman for more information.

"He was in the pub, that's where I went after we argued." She sighed, proceeding to explain the extent of the conversation she'd shared with her nephew. "He said it's fine, he's just worried about what might happen if we couldn't be friends anymore. Which is what we were worried about, too."

"I can't lose you." Was all Michelle offered in response, her blood running cold at the thought. "I can't be without you."

"You won't be, I promise."

But Michelle's eyes teared up once more and she shook her head, letting out a shaking breath.

"You can't promise me that," She whispered, trying to blink the moisture from her eyes. The attempt was unsuccessful and the grief spilled down her cheeks, her heart squeezing painfully once more.

Carla couldn't answer her; instead she ran a comforting hand through the younger woman's hair, her brow knitted together in distress. Tears were leaking thick and fast from Michelle's eyes, her body trembling against the older woman's as she spoke again.

"Dean, Paul, Liam, Aidan, even... even Ruairi. Everyone I love the most, just gone." Her voice cracked, each word sounding more broken than the last. "I sometimes wish that I could have them all back, our whole family back. Just for one day, to see how it could have been. If everyone was together again. I miss them so much." The younger woman was crying freely now, each sob heartbroken and painful; it almost made Carla want to cover her ears so she didn't have to listen to how much the other woman was hurting. There was nothing she could do to make it better. She allowed her own silent tears to fall, her hand moving in gentle circles against Michelle's back in an attempt to soothe her, allowing her to grieve.

"I can't make any promises to you about the future," Carla whispered, her voice hoarse, throat cramping painfully as she struggled to swallow the lump that had formed there. "I just promise to make the most of every day we spend together."

It was only natural that the younger woman would fear losing her after everything they'd been through, but the wound in Carla's chest was already so deep that she couldn't allow herself to think about hacking further into it with thoughts of losing Michelle. She was already in danger of bleeding out.

"We have to tell people, don't we?" The younger woman finally broke the silence after calming down in Carla's comforting hold. Glancing up, she saw the other woman's eyes were just as pink as her own and she stretched towards her, pressing a soothing kiss to her damp cheek. "We said after the funeral,"

"Yeah, but it doesn't have to be tomorrow, or even the day after that. We don't have to add anymore pressure to ourselves just yet, do we?" Carla murmured, stroking her fingertips down Michelle's arm. She couldn't deny her own nerves about the situation and the pair of them certainly didn't need any added stress. Completely conflicted, the knot of guilt in her stomach tightened as she realised the alternative was more secrets and lies to her family. It seemed Michelle was thinking along the same lines.

"It's got to come out sometime... If-if its what you still want? If you're sure about this?" Hazel eyes searched the green above her, checking for doubts, almost expecting them, but the older woman shook her head, her gaze fixed determinedly on Michelle's.

"It's what I want." Carla confirmed, gently guiding Michelle up towards her, wrapping her arms around her neck. "Are you scared?"

"Terrified." She admitted, lightly tapping their foreheads together. "It'll be real, won't it? And part of me is still scared to death that I'll end up losing you. I can't pretend I'm looking forward to the gossip or the comments, either. But you make me happy, Carla. I think we deserve to be, after everything."

"You think?" The older brunette let out a light chuckle, closing her eyes for a moment when Michelle's hand cupped the side of her head, stroking the pad of her thumb over her brow. "So, what do I introduce you as, now? My other half? My Significant other?"

"Partner in crime?" Michelle suggested and they both laughed, Carla's arms tightening around the other woman as she pulled her closer.

"I think you've always been my Partner in crime, haven't you? My best friend, soulmate, the person I've fallen completely head over heels for." Carla felt the comforting warmth of the other woman's body as she nuzzled further into her, catching her hand with her own and lacing their fingers together. She allowed herself to revel in the contentment the other woman's touch brought, the way the weight in her chest lifted when at the thought of being allowed to love her freely. Carla nudged her nose against Michelle's, tilting her head to brush their lips together. The kiss was sweet and lingering, the younger woman's lips so warm and delicate against her own.

"Oh. God. Sorry." A voice from the doorway caused them both to break apart. They'd been so consumed in one another they hadn't even heard the door open. It was late and it was evident Ryan had tried to creep in quietly, cautious they might have been sleeping. He'd thrown his arm across his eyes, a brown paper take out bag swinging from his other hand. Lowering his arm slightly, he squinted at them through one eye, the other screwed tightly shut. "So... friends again? _More_ than friends?"

The two women glanced at each other, Carla gave Michelle an affirmative little nod, subtly squeezing her hand in support.

"Ry, I'm sorry you found out the way you did. We are going to tell everyone. I didn't want to lie to you. Are you really okay with- this?"

"The two of you, I'm fine with. The two of you making out on the sofa like a couple teenagers, not so cool. Like, I might need you to keep the running your hands all over my mum thing to a minimum when I'm around?" He nodded to Carla, placing the bag he was holding on the table, before rummaging around for plates, this time addressing Michelle. "But then at the same time, I might need you to not be all over my Aunty when I'm around... God that's a weird sentence isn't it?" The man chuckled absentmindedly, now setting assorted foil tins on the counter. "And there's no way I can pick sides when you're arguing."

Carla's face scrunched slightly, but even she couldn't help a smirk crossing her lips as she listened to her nephew waffle on. It was a relief that he'd taken the news well, she loved him for the way he breezed over it, cracked his jokes, diffused any tension with his ease over the situation.

"Oh and I got the job by the way, thanks for asking." He sassed, rolling his eyes at the pair. Michelle's head snapped up.

"Job? What job?"

"Oh!" Carla exclaimed, turning to Michelle with an apologetic smile. "I forgot to mention, Ry went for the job at 'Speed Daal'." She slid her arm around the younger woman's waist, giving her a gentle squeeze.

"Aw, well done Ry!" Michelle was grinning proudly at her son, her own hand weaving through Carla's dark tresses as the older woman leant her head against her shoulder.

"Are you two going to help me eat this?"

It was only when Ryan mentioned food that Carla realised just how hungry she was. Between the funeral, fighting with Alya and arguing with Michelle, the only thing she'd consumed that day had been a meagre glass of wine. Her body was protesting massively at her mistreatment of it. Maybe that why she'd gotten so fired up in the first place.

"Perks of the job?" Carla questioned, holding out her hand to pull Michelle up from the sofa as she wandered over to the kitchen area, inspecting the contents of the boxes he'd brought home. "'Chelle, come on, you haven't eaten either." She dropped a quick kiss to the side of the younger woman's head, pulling the chair out for her before instructing her to sit down.

"See, the orders have started. Already bossing the part of 'Wicked Stepmother'," Ryan smirked, causing Michelle to splutter.

"Ey!" Carla protested, reaching out to lightly cuff the back of his head, the three of them laughing around the table as they sat down to eat.

 **[a/n: Thank you for reading! Sorry for the slight delay, had a huge case of writers block and spent days second guessing everything I proceeded to write. I'm not 100% happy with this chapter, but I didn't want to postpone the update any longer. Thank you for all your lovely reviews! If anyone is on twitter and fancies catching me on there, I'm TicktyFlaminBoo, I will of course follow back! ]**


	11. Chapter 11

" _All I'm saying is that we move in tomorrow, don't we? So let's get settled and then we can invite the family over for dinner and tell them all then."_

"I suppose that'd make more sense." Michelle agreed, absentmindedly wiping down the bar in the Bistro. It was spotless, but it was quiet and she'd been struggling to find anything to do to pass the time. Her other hand was holding her iPhone against her ear, she'd felt it vibrate in her pocket and hadn't seen any harm in answering. Carla had informed her she was at their soon-to-be new flat, giving it another once over.

" _Ryan and Ali have said they'll lend us a hand moving."_

"You've spoken to Ali?" The younger woman frowned, having not seen him herself since he'd disappeared from the funeral. He'd sent her a text to apologise and told her that he'd come and see her when he was free.

" _Only in passing, he was asking after you. I think he wanted to speak to you but I mentioned we'd be busy with moving and he said he'd help."_

"Oh. Well, that was nice of him. I suppose I'll get to talk to him in between lugging box-"

"Michelle, _don't_ take personal calls while you're working!"

The younger woman rolled her eyes.

" _Who the hell is he_ barking _at like that?"_ Carla sounded absolutely outraged, Michelle could hear the pounding of her footsteps echoing down the line. " _I'm coming across."_

"Don't be daft, Carla. He's just in a mood. I've dealt with enough _surly teenaged boys_ , I can handle it." She placed emphasis on the insult, which caused Robert to scowl across at her. "I am going to have to go though, there's a couple of tables just emptied that need cleaning."

The two women said their goodbyes and Michelle slipped her phone into the back pocket of her jeans, purposely striding around the bar and moving towards the first vacated table. She'd just began piling the plates together, before she felt his presence behind her. She continued to pile cutlery and glasses onto the tray she'd carried over, pretending she hadn't even noticed he was leering over her.

"Michelle, can we talk?"

She sucked in a sharp breath at the light pressure of his hand on her shoulder, instinctively shrugging him off.

"You've just told me to get back to work."

"I told you not to make personal calls," He murmured, sighing softly at her reluctance. "Please, Michelle, just five minutes."

Unease settled in the pit of her stomach as she followed the chef through to the kitchen, cursing herself for being such a bag of nerves. Entering first as he held the door for her, she stepped into the vast room and stood with her arms folded, shuffling slightly as she waited for him to speak.

"It's been hell without you," Robert began, taking a step towards the brunette woman, raising his hands to rest them against the top of her arms, his thumbs lightly stroking across her lace clad skin. "I really miss you and you can't tell me you don't miss me? After everything we had together? Please, just think about how amazing it was." He was pleading with her, his eyes searching hers for even an ounce of the emotion he was feeling.

"Robert, you need to stop doing this." Michelle whispered, her eyes filling with tears. She dropped her gaze to the ground, unable to meet his anymore. "We've got to move on."

"But why? Look, this daft fling you had- I know it's not serious. It can't be."

"It's not a fling," Was all she said, refusing to give any further information on hers and Carla's situation. She told herself she had no reason to feel guilty, reminding herself she'd broken things off with the man in front of her before she'd even begun to contemplate her feelings for Carla.

"Well, it's hardly serious. Look, you had a wobble, okay? Completely understandable after what I put you through. You turned to your best friend and you got confused, but-"

"Just stop it!" Raising her voice despite the hint of fear prickling along her shoulders, she took a deep breath and raised her head defiantly, preparing herself to have it out once and for all with the chef. "Please, please stop putting words into my mouth. I haven't felt... The same about you for a while. Things changed, you know they did." Blinking, a tear escaped her hold and slipped down her cheek. He tried to brush it away but she stepped back, shaking her head. "It's truly over, I don't love you anymore. I'm so sorry."

The younger woman felt terrible as the taller mans face crumpled, denial and shock marring his features.

"If you love me like you say you do, you'll respect how I feel."

It seemed those words hit him hard. Roughly wiping the tears from his cheeks, he sniffed heavily, before giving a firm nod.

"If this is you walking away from what we had, then don't think you're ever going to be able to get it back. She'll screw you over, she's the same as me. Only she never learns and she never shows any remorse. Carla might be a good friend, but she's not good to be with. I'll work on respecting your decision, but I will never respect _her."_

"Don't talk about her like that, you don't know her like I do." Michelle sighed, too exhausted to start a whole new argument with the man in front of her.

Robert scoffed, a scornful smirk forming across his face.

"Oh I think you'll find I know her _very_ well. In fact, I knew her _better_ than you did. Well, up until the other week it seems." He reminded her crudely, a cocky and triumphant grin on his face. Michelle blanched in disgust, her skin crawling as the unwelcome thought of his hands, rough and meaningless, pawing carelessly at her best friend. "Tell me, does she still like it when you kiss that spot on her neck? Has she found yours? Did she cry out-"

"Stop it." Michelle hissed, tears falling past her cheeks and splashing down her front.

"What, are you embarrassed? Disgusted? You should be."

"We're done here." She whispered, turning in heel and leaving the kitchen. The sound of the metal colander that he'd seized from the counter crashing against the refrigerator assaulted her ears. At the sound, Daniel had tore from the table he'd been cleaning and hurried across to Michelle, his eyes widen with concern.

"Are you okay? What's happened? Did he hurt you?" He fired questions at the shaken brunette, who was wiping the remaining tears from her cheeks.

"No...No, he just said some stuff. He's angry and upset, he was trying to get to me." Michelle still felt sickened at his words, but tried to push them from her mind, reassuring herself that he was only lashing out due to the hurt he felt. "He threw something across the kitchen; I would probably leave him to it until he calms down."

"No danger." Daniel murmured, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze before heading off to resume his previous task. The kitchen was silent again, the only sounds she heard now being the buzz of idle chatter and the clink of cutlery against porcelain.

Time seemed to be dragging particularly slowly, once or twice Michelle wondered whether batteries in the clock on the wall were starting to run out. It was typical that she had to work so late the day before she was due to move. There were a million other things she needed to get done that day; she'd only just finished packing her clothes, she was now mentally complying a list other miscellaneous belongings that she needed to pack into boxes.

"'Chelle!" The younger woman was pulled from her thoughts at the sound of Carla's voice, her face splitting into a huge smile for the first time that day, her spirits instantly soaring at the sight of the other woman.

"What're you doing here?"

The older brunette raised an eyebrow, pretending to look offended.

"First rule of business; never turn away custom."

Rolling her eyes, Michelle plucked a glass from beneath the bar and poured a measure of red wine into it, sliding it across the bar to the other woman. She waved her hand away when she attempted to pay, assuring Carla the drink was on her. The older woman's eyes scanned around the room absentmindedly as she sipped her drink, her shoulders slumped in an almost defeated manner, green hues looking somewhat lost. Her dulled demeanour didn't go unnoticed by Michelle.

"You'll get that Factory back, I know it."

"Maybe," Carla shrugged, a small sigh leaving her lips. A tiny smile tugged at the corner of them when Michelle's hand covered hers comfortingly.

"We'll figure it out." She promised, gently squeezing her fingers. "What were you doing up at the flat again?"

"Cleaning."

Michelle spluttered, a toothy grin forming across her face.

" _Cleaning?_ Oh, darlin', you really are bored, aren't you?"

Carla shot her a look, before going back to her drink and pulling her phone from her bag. There was a message from Ryan to the family group chat. He'd left a link to them all with the caption ' _WE ARE VIRAL!'_

Confused, Carla clicked on the link and found herself taken to Ryan's social media page. Her eyes grew wide at the video that had been posted to his feed.

"'Chelle, get around here and see this!"

The younger woman looked worried as she slid around the bar and stood behind Carla, her eyes scanning the screen over her shoulder.

"Is that a video of here, the other night?"

"It's you!" Carla exclaimed excitedly, clicking on the video so that the younger woman's voice immediately emitted from her phone speakers. For a second, she was blown away all over again at the voice that wound itself around her ears, transfixed on the screen as she watched the younger woman singing with the band, her eyes fixed on a certain point in the audience. A certain _person._ Her breath hitched slightly as Michelle breathed in her ear, almost unable to believe the number of views.

"Is that how many people have watched it?"

"Look how many have shared it, 'Chelle!"

Michelle cheeks glowed pink with pride and bewilderment, her mouth falling open in amazement. Her chin fell to Carla's shoulder, subconsciously slipping her arms around the older woman's waist as they watched the video for a moment longer. Touching the pad of her thumb against the bright screen, Carla opened up the comments section and began to glide down it, smiling at all the words of admiration that had been expressed.

"Aw, look, Kate commented." She hovered over her sister's name on the screen, who had wasted no time in boasting about Michelle and Ryan.

"I can't believe it! What's everyone else saying?"

The scrolled through a few of the comments together, the younger woman's cheeks growing more heated with each compliment that she received.

"She's amazing... Beautiful Voice... Can I hire her to sing at my wedding! 'Chelle you need to look into that." Tilting her head to glance back at her, Carla saw wide hazel eyes completely radiant with happiness, a coy smile across her face. One of her hands left Carla's waist so she could hold the phone with her, her hand resting over the older woman's.

"Oh, there's always one." Michelle rolled her eyes, her face wrinkling on disgust. " ' _Fit. Would not kick her out of bed'"_ She gagged, causing Carla's eyes to snap back to the screen. "The only way I'd ever get into his bed is if I'd died and someone had dragged my corpse into it."

"What a creep, talking about you like that. We'll get Ry to remove it." The older brunette nodded, scowling at the comment for a moment, before turning her head once more to lock eyes on Michelle's. They seemed to go from bright emerald to a murky forest green, her teeth grazing her lower lip as she regarded the other woman.

"What?"

"Well... I mean, I _can_ see exactly where he's coming from." The tip of her tongue peeked out for a moment, subtly brushing against a lower lip, watching in satisfaction as colour tinted Michelle's cheeks once more, mouth parting slightly. The hand that was wrapped around Carla's waist have her a squeezing nudge.

"Behave yourself." Michelle muttered, though she wore a smirk across her face that was identical to Carla's as they eye'd one another.

The older woman chuckled, her features softening, her seductive grin shifting into a warm smile that was full of admiration for the woman pressed against her. Abandoning her phone on the bar, she turned around to face the other woman properly.

"I'm so proud of you, 'Chelle. For everything you've done and keep doing, no matter what life has thrown at you. You amaze me, everyday."

Michelle looked touched, her eyes glassing over slightly.

"Carla..." She was staring at the other woman's lips, biting her own as she allowed her gaze to travel back up to meet hers. The younger woman's face was full of longing, her brow furrowing as she let out an almost pained little sigh.

The saddened green hues in front of her fluttered shut as Carla dipped her head, lightly touching her forehead to Michelle's.

"I know," She whispered in understanding. About to press a quick peck against the younger woman's lips, she suddenly wasn't sure she trusted herself to pull back, so instead touched a lingering kiss to her cheek before wrapping her up in a hug, squeezing her tightly.

"Well, this looks cosy! Can I get in on a family hug?" Kate's voice permeated the air around them and both women jumped back slightly as the youngest Connor woman pushed between them and casually slid her arm around her sisters shoulders. "Did you see the video online? How amazing is that!"

"Just. We were talking about it, weren't we?" Michelle nodded, feeling somewhat breathless and hoping she appeared normal.

"Think of the publicity! Not just for this place, Ryan said he dropped the link to your wedding planning page in the comments too." Kate was beaming at them, unable to keep still as she buzzed with excitement. "Two people have already messaged him asking if you're available to sing at their reception!"

Michelle looked shocked at the information, hardly daring to even contemplate that they were genuine, serious requests.

"You've got to do it, 'Chelle. Hey, if it all takes off for you, you could go full time and then you wouldn't even have to work here."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Michelle laughed, trying to process the news. Getting out of working at the Bistro seemed almost too good to be true. She hadn't always hated working there, but once her and Carla were out in the open she couldn't help but fear things would become far more awkward, possibly bordering on unbearable.

"And when you and Ryan are properly famous, we want a big family villa in the Maldives." Kate teased, throwing an apron over her head and turning around so that Carla could tie it for her. "No expenses spared."

"Keep dreaming."

"I don't pay you to stand about having family meetings."

The three brunette women whipped around, each one crossing their arms over their chests as they glared at Robert.

"Technically my shift doesn't begin for another five minutes and Michelle was on her break." Kate answered stonily, though reluctantly trudged around the bar and began to check the quantities of the spirits hanging on the wall.

"What time are you home?" Carla mumbled, reaching out to rest her hand in Michelle's arm, her fingertips gliding lightly across her skin.

"Not while late." The younger woman sighed, her heart dropping at the thought of several more hours in the Bistro. At least this time there was Kate, though her insides twisted with nerves as she wondered whether Robert would bring anything up in front of her. Not for the first time that day, Michelle contemplated the convenience of finding a different job. Although where the hell she'd find the time to search and apply was beyond her..

"'Chelle? You okay?" Carla frowned in concern, she'd been speaking to the younger brunette but she seemed to have zoned out. Reaching out, she placed her fingertip beneath her chin and held her for a moment. "Darlin'?"

"Sorry, yeah, I'm fine. I'm a bit tired." Michelle excused, not wanting to worry the woman further by divulging what had just gone down between her and her ex-fiancé.

"Well I've got to get back to Roy's and finish off boxing up my things. When I've done I'll go back across to the flat and get started on what's left of yours." Carla assured her, briefly allowing her fingertips to trail down her neck as she left her hand fall from her face.

Michelle smiled gratefully at her; there had been truth in her words, she was tired. She'd been fully expecting not to hit the sheets until early hours at the least.

"Thank you, you know you don't have to."

"I know, but I want to. Right-" Carla leant forward and dropped another swift kiss to her cheek, giving her hand a quick squeeze before stepping back from the other woman. "I'll see you later. Bye, Kate!"

The older brunette plucked her phone from the bar as she made her way towards the exit, typing out a brief message on her phone.

' _Ryan if you're at the pub drag your backside to the flat ASAP. Need your help x'_

 **IXIXIXI**

"Ugh, what a shift." Michelle moaned, the second she'd pushed the flat door open. She was met with brunt force as Ryan tried to push her back out.

"Nope. You've got to go up another floor. Straight up to your new flat." He pushed a set of keys into the confused woman's hands. "I'm under strict instruction. Please do as you're told."

"Ryan?" She laughed, attempting once more to enter the apartment. Her son wouldn't budge.

"I can't let you in, mum. You've got to go upstairs. She's waiting. Go on."

Throwing him a backwards glance that was full of suspicion, she rolled her eyes as he grinned and waved her off. He didn't move from the doorway until the elevator doors closed. Glancing at her phone, she'd started to wonder why Carla hadn't sent her one message through the remainder of her shift, not even to mention something silly like the time she'd accidentally walked into glass doors, thinking they'd slide open. She smirked at the image her head conjured whenever she thought about that particular text message...

"Carla? What's going on? Ryan said I had to come straight-"

She broke off, at a complete loss for words. The flat was bare, ready for their move the following morning, but the empty marble fireplace had been draped with subtle white fairy lights. Across the bottom of the marble platform, a series of candles were scattered, flickering invitingly at her. There was a deep, fluffy rug covering the empty space a little away from that, where a bundle of large, plush cushions were piled, along with several thick blankets.

A tray was balanced in with the cosy ensemble, laden with a selection of cut cheeses, olives and grapes. Two crystal glasses which gleamed in the flickering golden light were upturned next to a bottle of red wine. The sound of cough brought Michelle's attention to the corner of the room, where someone had quietly cleared their throat.

Carla was stood holding Ryan's iPad, next to a complicated looking speaker set up. Her fingertips hovered over the screen for a few moments, before tapping against it gently. Soft waves of music began to play modestly from the impressive sound system and, satisfied with the playlist Ryan had helped her make, she placed the device on the windowsill. It was astonishing how she could make something so simple look beautiful. Clad in comfortable black leggings and a slouchy, off the shoulder cream top, her hair spilled down her shoulders and she emitted nothing but pure elegance as she glided smoothly across to Michelle, who was still stood in silent astonishment.

"How was your shift?" Carla's rich, husky tone invaded her senses and she finally dragged her gaze to meet the other woman's.

"What's...what's all this for?" She whispered, her breath hitching slightly as the other woman grazed her fingertips down her arm.

"Don't worry, I'll clear everything up before tomor-"

Carla was cut off when Michelle pulled her into a firm kiss, her hands on her cheeks to keep her close as they broke apart.

"I just wanted us to do something, before everyone else starts to interfere." She explained, taking Michelle's hand and leading her into the centre the rug, pulling the younger woman down with her as she sank into the cushions herself and Ryan had carried up earlier that day.

"I love it," Michelle whispered, wasting no time in leaning against the other woman, cuddling into her.

"You never answered me about your shift?"

"Can I have another question?" She mumbled, rolling her eyes slightly.

"Yeah we you might not have to work there much longer if that video was anything to go by." Carla reassured her, reaching across to pluck one of the grapes from the tray. She held it up to the younger woman's lips and she took it daintily between her teeth, making them both giggle when she 'accidentally' flicked the tip of her tongue against Carla's finger.

"Are you nervous about the dinner party?" Michelle suddenly asked, biting her lip slightly as she glanced up at the other woman.

"Yes, and no. I can't wait for this to be in the open, no hiding away or overthinking or having to be careful. The sooner it's out there, the sooner everyone gets over it."

"But?"

"I hate being headline news." Carla shrugged, dropping her gaze down to meet Michelle's. "You know, without sounding too bigheaded."

They laughed again and Michelle felt any stress and lingering tension from her previous shift ebb away as they ate and chatted companionably, lightheartedly discussing the worst case scenarios in a joking manner, attempting to lighten the load they were about to throw onto their family.

"So between Kate hanging up the rainbow bunting and trying to drag us down Canal Street, I suppose there won't be much time left to contemplate the negative!" Carla chuckled, placing down her glass which she had just drained of wine. The inside of her lips were stained a deep purple and Michelle couldn't drag her eyes away. Subconsciously, she licked her own lips before leaning further towards the other woman. Carla definitely made the wine taste better.

"This song!" The older brunette suddenly snapped back from the kiss, turning towards the fireplace where she began blowing out the candles.

"What-?"

"We danced to it. When we first kissed..." Carla was on her feet, fiddling with what Michelle had thought to be another random piece of Ryan's sound system. However, when Carla finally managed to find the switch she'd been looking for, she used one hand to flick it on, the other snapping the lights around the fireplace off.

Michelle gasped. The room was suddenly dazzled with thousands upon thousands of twinkling stars as Carla positioned the projector in the centre of the room.

"Okay I've stepped into a parallel universe where movie-Carla-Connor is a hopeless romantic."

Smirking, the older woman moved towards Michelle and reached down, helping her to her feet.

"Well why don't you step into this universe-"-Carla glanced around the glittering room as she spoke- "and dance with me again?"

Michelle's expression softened as she moved herself closer to Carla, slipping one arm around her waist, her other hand finding the older woman's as she threaded their fingers together.

"Carla, you're beyond amazing..."

The other woman just smiled softly, shaking her head slightly as they began to sway together. She could see a billion stars reflected in her dark eyes, but Carla wondered if they'd always been there. So many galaxies staring back at her, but she knew she'd always seen her very own world in them.

"You're perfect," Carla whispered, bringing her hand from her shoulder to cup her face, the pad of her thumb brushing over the other woman's cheek. "Do you remember the first time I said that to you?"

Michelle frowned, thinking for a moment, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "I was upset about Steve..."

Carla gave an affirmative nod, still stroking her skin.

"You'd cried off all your make up, thrown your hair up, put that big, comfortable dressing gown and I... I just remember thinking that even in that moment, you looked so beautiful. I couldn't believe that you'd deemed yourself unlovable. I meant it then and I mean it now; you _are_ perfect." The older brunette spoke softly, there was such sincerity in her voice, Michelle couldn't believe that they seemed to have missed out on this intimate connection they had.

"Did you always... I mean, when did you know? That you-"

"Loved you?" Carla let out a puff of air, glancing to the side of Michelle as she tried to articulate her answer.

"'Chelle, loving you... It just comes as naturally as breathing. It's like I didn't even realise I was doing it, until I had to stop."

Michelle looked awed and confused at the same time, her heart beating rapidly in her chest as she absorbed the other woman's words, goosebumps forming over her body in sheer love.

"When I came back from Devon, when you said...that he just wasn't me, well it felt like I could finally breathe again. I missed you so much, I miss you when you're not around, I miss you when I only just kiss you goodbye and you're on shift for eight hours. You know, there's this little smile you've got, whenever you've been happy for me or we've done something successful together, I suppose I secretly called it 'my smile', and all I want to do is keep you happy because the look in your eyes when you are..."

Michelle was openly crying now, her face streaked with tears and she threw her arms around the other woman and held onto her tightly, squeezing her close against her chest.

"The light behind that smile is _you,_ Carla. No one's loved me like this before, no one's said anything like that to me."

"No one's loved you the way you deserve to be, that's why." Carla whispered, her own eyes watery as she combed her fingers through the other woman's hair, their dance completely forgotten as they held one another.

The older woman broke the silence with a small chuckle, pulling back slightly as she spoke.

"You know, that sounded exactly like something from one of those soppy movies I used to hate. I'm blaming you for bringing out this cheesy, lovesick side of me." She teased, lightly nudging her nose against Michelle's.

"Part of me did maybe wonder which film you'd stolen that whole speech from." Michelle winked, bringing her thumb and forefinger up to gently pinch the tip of the other woman's chin, touching a tender kiss against her lips. Carla responded equally as soft, her own fingertips brushing across the younger woman's damp cheeks, drying the remainder of her tears.

When they broke apart, a wide grin spread across Michelle's lips, her teeth pulling at her lower one as she took in the woman in front of her, the glow from the artificial amber light that filtered in from a nearby lamppost highlighting the tones of red in her chestnut hair. She could just about pick out the green of her eyes on the dim light.

"What?" Carla whispered, raising her eyebrow slightly as the younger woman to gaze at her, seemingly transfixed.

"I'm completely, undoubtedly in love with you, Carla Connor."

 **IXIXIXI**

Okay, I've got the starters chilling in the fridge, the main's cooking away and if you've forgotten dessert there is going to be hell to pay." Michelle sassed as soon as Carla walked through the door.

The older woman raised her eyebrows, gesturing obviously to huge white box that she had her arms around. When Michelle had taken charge of the first two courses, Carla insisted that she'd sort the wine and dessert.

"I've just been slaving away in Roy's kitchen for the last hour!" Carla placed the box down on the counter, looking immensely pleased with herself. She stood back with pride as she watched Michelle saunter over and flip the lid of the box. She peered at the contents looking somewhat sceptical.

"You didn't make this."

"I did!" Carla insisted, looking completely outraged that the younger woman had suggested otherwise. "I mean I had help." She admitted, shrugging slightly. "But it was mostly me; ask Roy!"

The box contained a pristine looking tiramisu, dusted with cocoa and decorated with raspberries, the bright pink contrasting starkly with the deep brown. Neither of them had claimed to be amazing in the kitchen, so had decided to stick to an Italian themed meal; simple but something they were both sure they'd be able to pull of pretty substantially. Carla had enjoyed sauntering around the high end wine shops, selecting bottles for the different courses they'd planned. Michelle had deemed her a 'professional lush' which had earned the younger woman a sharp little nudge and a teasing quip about her having worked in the food and drinks industry for most of her life yet was still being outranked by the other woman.

"Well then, I admit, I'm very impressed." Michelle grinned, carefully picking up the box to place it safely in the refrigerator.

"One of my many, many talents." Carla smirked, biting her lip slightly as she watched the younger woman pull the apron she'd been wearing away from her body. The teal vest that she'd teamed with her black jeans had risen slightly and Carla found herself drawn instantly to the smooth expanse of skin it had revealed.

Taking deliberate steps towards Michelle, she slid her arms around her lithe waist, fingertips brushing over the exposed skin that had drawn her attention. Pulling her closer, she dipped her head and touched a lingering kiss to her lips, letting out a hum of approval as she did.

"What've you been doing?" Carla chuckled as she pulled back, noticing the light dusting of flour on Michelle's cheek, which she lightly brushed away with her thumb.

"Oh, I was making pasta." The younger brunette shrugged, slipping her own arms around Carla's neck.

"How did it go?"

"It's gone. Straight in the bin. We're eating Freshco's Finest."

Carla let out a husky laugh, before reconnecting their lips once more. This time, her hands slid a little further under the material of Michelle's top as she tugged softly on her lower lip.

"Carla," The warning was muffled, the older brunette was increasing the pressure of the longing kisses she was placing against her lips. "God, why do you have to make it so hard to resist?"

"Then stop...Mm...resisting." She took two meaningful steps towards the sofa, her hands guiding the younger woman backwards until she was resting against the arm of it.

"We can't..." Michelle whispered, though as she spoke she was pushing Carla's jacket from her shoulders.

"We've got an hour," Carla reasoned, rolling her shoulders to help rid herself from the article of clothing.

Catching the older woman around the middle, Michelle pulled her flush against her own body as she leant back against the cushions, weaving her fingers through chestnut locks as their kisses grew more forceful.

If they'd have been concentrating at all on anything besides the way they were completely consumed in one another, they might have heard the distant chatter that was coming from behind the flat door.

"Well I'm sure they won't mind us being here early, beats sitting in the Rovers doesn't it? We can have a drink here." Johnny shrugged, addressing the gaggle behind him. Both he and Jenny had been on the way to the local when they'd bumped into Kate, who had decided to join them. Having got to the and discovered Ali sitting alone they'd laughed and had decided they might as well make their way to Michelle and Carla's new flat; it was earlier than planned but they were sure the two women wouldn't mind. They could still have a drink, chat and Kate had suggested she'd offer a hand in whatever they were making. The young brunette had quickly dipped her head into Speed Daal to let Ryan know they were headed over early and, after pleading with Sophie for an earlier dart, he'd grabbed his set of keys for the flat and joined his family.

"Well I cant hear any arguing, so that's a good sign. Maybe dinner is still on the cards." Jenny dared to joke as Ryan fumbled with the keys, sliding them into the lock.

"Yeah, either that or they've killed one another." Kate grinned, stepping past Ryan who had grasped the handle and stepped to the side, allowing her to go first.

The Connor clan spilled through the doorway and were met with a sight that stopped them dead in their tracks.

"Oh my God."

The two women sprang apart instantly but it was too late. They'd already been seen. Kissing fiercely on the sofa and locked in an intense embrace. Carla almost fell over as she jumped up, her hands whipping back from where they'd been snaking their way further up the younger woman's top. Michelle had let out a whimper of shock, sitting up so fast she feared she'd pulled something in her neck. Both women stood, staring wide eye'd and fearful at the group in front of them, panting slightly, hair tussled and faces pink.

Ryan looked completely mortified at his mistake.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I didn't think-"

"What the _hell_ is going on?"

Carla pressed her lips together, pushing her hand through her hair. At the side of her, Michelle covered her mouth with both of her hands, looking absolutely terrified. This hadn't been part of the plan.

" _Somebody answer me!"_ Johnny was looking between the pair as though he had no idea who they were. Looking less angry but equally as shocked, Kate's mouth was hanging open as she stared from her sister to her cousin, trying to process what she'd just seen. She shook her head slightly as though checking she wasn't hallucinating. Jenny seemed the most calm, her eyebrow raised in bemusement and Ali looked somewhat disturbed; due to the fact he was currently trying to shake the image of having caught the woman he'd had an attraction to, wrapped in a clinch with his biological mother.

"I swear we were going to tell you," Carla began, the knot of nerves in her stomach tightening as she spoke. "That's why we'd invited you all over."

"Tell us what?" Ali frowned, looking from his mother to Carla, still trying to work out exactly what's happening. It seemed Ryan was unable to help himself, if there was a dig to be had, he'd jump on the shovel each and every time when it came to the other man.

"You know, for a Doctor, you're a bit thick aren't you?"

"Oh don't you two start!" Michelle cried, her voice shrill as she blinked back the moisture from her eyes. "This is hard enough with you trying to wind one another up."

"Just sit down. Please. All of you." Carla sighed, nodding towards the table, where they'd set up extra chairs to accommodate all of their family. Throwing one last disapproving look at the pair, Johnny made his way around to the table, the rest of the family silent as they took their seats. Michelle guessed she could have probably picked up the knife from the counter and sliced through the tension in the room, it felt like everyone in the room was now holding their breath.

Noticing the younger woman avoiding her gaze, Carla placed her fingertips against her shoulder and guided the other woman to the two remaining seats at the head of the table, pressing her lips together in determination as she nodded at her. It was far from the ideal situation, having discussed talking to their family sometime after dessert, when everyone had had a couple of calming measures of wine. Michelle seemed to read her thoughts.

"Look, does anyone want a drink? I'll get-"

"Sit down and stop stalling! I want to know what the hell that was."

Michelle dropped back down into her seat, chewing her lip, glancing over to Carla once more who looked as though she was concentrating hard, trying to form the right words.

"Me and 'Chelle are... we're seeing each other." It still wasn't quite the way she'd wanted to put it, but she'd said it now. The words rang out around the room, it was Kate who broke the silence by letting out a snort.

"Are you tricking us? Is that what this is? I mean it has to be."

"You don't kiss someone like that for a 'trick', get real!" Jenny laughed, glancing edgily at Johnny who hadn't yet spoken. "I mean, it's a shock but it's okay isn't it?"

Johnny snapped out of the trance he'd been in and stared at at Jenny as though worried for her sanity.

"No! No it flamin' well isn't 'okay'. For one, if this goes wrong it'll blow the whole family apart!" Johnny fumed, eyeing the pair on disapproval.

"Oh, come on. They've known each other all their lives! They live on a street full of their ex's and can still look them in the eye-" Ryan jumped into defence on their behalf, however it seemed to make the situation worse.

"Exactly. Full of ex's. Not exactly the best track record."

Neither of the women had spoken yet, Carla already looked thoroughly fed up and Michelle seemed to be trying to hold back tears. Cautiously, the older brunette reached out to take her hand, lacing their fingers together. The gesture was watched by five pairs of eyes, ranging from mild shock to complete disbelief.

"We didn't do this on purpose." Carla eventually offered, glancing around the table; only Ryan met her eye, giving her a reassuring nod.

"You're not thinking straight, neither of you. You're both still grieving and _you're_ on the rebound." He directed the latter comment to Michelle, who looked completely heartbroken. She shook her head, her grip on Carla's hand tightening.

"I wouldn't do that to her."

"It's a knee jerk reaction to the loss, your way of keeping one another close after what's happened."

"Well there's close and then there's..." Ryan trailed off, a hint of amusement in his tone as he nodded towards the pair, trying to lighten the situation. He, for one, didn't understand the huge deal and was trying to work out why everyone seemed to be giving the two women such a hard time. Michelle shot him a warning glance, her eyes widening as she shook her head pointedly. Carla coughed, shuffling awkwardly in her seat, feeling her skin grow warmer. There was a noise of disgust from across the table.

"Oh God, you haven't? You're _related!"_

"In the same way birds are related to the dinosaurs!" Carla protested, glancing shiftily at Michelle, who looked equally uncomfortable at the insinuation.

"So this is why you turned me down for that date?" Ali piped up, speaking for the first time since Carla's official revelation. Ryan let out a groan, dropping his head in his hands. There was another moments silence, the air buzzing with an awkward tension.

"This just gets more and more messed up. I feel like I'm on one of those reality TV shows."

"Oh well you started that one."'Carla quipped, letting out a sarcastic laugh, putting on a fake presenters voice as she spoke out. " _And on today's show we have Johnny Connor, with the big DNA results reveal. Will we find out if he's the father_ _after a sordid fling over forty years ago?"_

Despite the situation, Kate bit back a laugh; Ali and Ryan openly sniggered at her outburst.

"It's far from funny!" Johnny snapped at the younger three. "Did Robert know? I bet he didn't take it well."

"Oh, he was over the moon Johnny." Michelle rolled her eyes, starting to recover from the upset and quickly bordering on angry as to why they were suddenly on trial, having to defend themselves. "He offered his suit to Carla and asked if she wanted to take his place in the wedding instead."

"I reckon you'd look good in a suit, sis. You could totally pull that look off." Kate nodded, she seemed to be coming around slowly to the idea now that the initial shock had worn off. Carla smiled at her, shaking her head slightly before looking back at her father, green eyes pleading with him.

"We know it's a bit out of the blue..." She began, ignoring the way he scoffed. "But we make each other happy and we deserve to give ourselves a chance."

Michelle squeezed her hand in support, lightly rubbing the pad of her thumb against her skin. As tough as she seemed, the younger woman could feel Carla trembling slightly, knew that it was taking all her effort to hold back the emotion behind saddened mossy hues. The last thing they wanted was to lose out on the family life they'd slowly become accustomed to, especially after so much loss already. Michelle felt a twinge of guilt, worrying what would happen between them if Carla were to lose Johnny's support because of her.

"Hang on-" Kate began, suddenly sitting up properly in her seat; Carla thought she could almost see the literal lightbulb going off in her head. "Is this why Robert hit you?"

All eyes were on Michelle, whose eyes were cast downwards. She ran her free hand over her forehead, trying to will back the tension headache that was already starting to form.

"He found out Carla had stayed the night and got the wrong end of the stick." She worded carefully, finally dragging her eyes up to meet her family's. They looked confused.

"But...Why would he automatically insinuate that you'd-" Kate broke off, not wanting to draw focus to their private life in front of Carla's father and Michelle's two sons.

Looking guilty and about to reveal exactly how long they'd been hiding their secret, Carla took a deep breath, saving the other woman from answering.

"Because Robert caught us kissing earlier that morning."

"And no, we weren't having an affair." Michelle hastened to add, not wanting to give the group any more leeway to hurtle their judgement. "This happened after I'd split up with Robert."

"How soon after is what concerns me."

"Well it shouldn't because it isn't really any of your business, Johnny! We wanted to tell you all because we didn't want to lie to you, not because we're asking for permission."

The group was silent again after Michelle's outburst, it was Ryan who broke it.

"Can I say something?" He glanced around the table, making sure he had everyone's attention, before continuing. "I know I haven't been back long, but since I have, Carla's been here looking out for mum every day. You haven't seen them together like I have. I'm not sure when it happened, but the moment I caught... it wasn't seedy or meaningless. They've got something."

Having been waiting on baited breath to hear what her son was going to divulge, Michelle's eyes softened as she met his, returning the smile he'd given her. Next to him, Kate was frowning, but not in disagreement, merely as though she was contemplating something.

"How did we not see this sooner?" She finally spoke out, her eyes lighting up in realisation. "I mean, when you think back...The way you've always been together. Whenever Michelle was working, you'd always sit by the bar to keep her company. You'd say you were here to see both of us if I was there too but, you only had eyes for her; I saw the way you looked at each other. You're always so close, holding hands, the little touches, kisses-"

"The bickering." Jenny contributed, nodding between them. "Teasing one another, classic signs of flirting."

"You don't even realise you're doing it half the time, you just naturally act married." Ryan chuckled as the two women's cheeks coloured slightly. Now that all these things had been pointed out, it was hard to find an explanation as to why they'd acted that way other than the fact they just _wanted_ to be that close, subconsciously or otherwise.

"It's actually kind of...Nice." Kate sighed, looking between her cousin and her sister. "To have a bond that strong, that hasn't faded over all those years. How many people can say they've found a connection like that?"

"Ali, you're quiet." Michelle murmured, hardly able to take in the fact that both her cousin and Jenny seemed to be warming to the news so soon.

"If it's what you want and you're happy, then that's all that matters." Her biological son nodded, his face remaining completely passive.

They all jumped as a loud slam sounded, Johnny had banged his hand against the table in frustration.

"It isn't all that matters! This is wrong on so many levels. Is this a midlife crisis? People are going to think this is a joke! You're hardly both saints when it comes to fellas, you've practically worked your way around the street."

"Hey! Watch it." Carla snapped, pointing her finger towards the oldest Connor, her eyes ablaze with anger.

"You've never been into women in your life!"

"Dad!" Kate hissed, looking offended on their behalf. "Things aren't always so black and white..."

"And I'm still not 'into women', now." Carla argued, frustrated that Johnny wasn't taking her seriously. Letting go of Michelle's hand, she instead slid her arm around the younger woman's waist, shuffling as close to her as her chair would permit. "I've fallen in love...with Michelle."

" _Love?_ Oh this gets worse! How can you all be sat here condoning this abnormal behaviour? It's disgusting!"

"Right _get out!"_ Carla had jumped up from her seat, pointing towards the door, trying to stop her arm from trembling. "Go on! I won't have you speaking like that about me or Michelle in our home."

Shooting daggers at the pair of them, Johnny snatched his jacket from the back of the chair and stormed towards the door, shouting at Jenny as he threw it open. Looking distressed, his wife hastily got to her feet, throwing an apologetic glance at Carla.

"I'm sorry, it's the shock. I'll talk to him, try to explain to him." She promised, throwing her bag over her shoulder. "For what it's worth, I'm happy for you both."

Thanking her, Carla flopped back down in her seat as she left, letting out a shaky sigh. She felt Michelle slide a comforting hand across her back and leant into her touch.

"I think it's probably best if you all just go. I'm not in the mood for dinner."

"Carla?"

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for." Kate nodded determinedly, walking around to give her sister a tight hug. "Do you really love one another?"

"Yeah," Michelle answered, looking from Kate to Ali, her expression one of complete honesty. "I mean, she's difficult and moody and a stubborn cow at times, but she's my stubborn cow and I do love her." She managed the slightest smile as Carla lightly nudged her side at the comment and pressed a gentle kiss to the side of the older brunettes head.

Leaving the two sisters to say goodbye, she left her own seat and walked across to Ali, her hands twisting nervously.

"I'm sorry you found out like you did."

"You won't get any judgement from me," He assured her, offering her a small smile, before attempting to lighten the situation. "I mean it'd make me a hypocrite wouldn't it? No hard feelings?"

"Ali!" Michelle let out a short laugh, pulling him in for a quick hug. "Thank you, and thank you for all your help with this move. I really appreciate it. And I promise I will take you out to dinner to make up for it."

"Don't worry about it. In a way you've done me a favour, this'll at least force me to do my coursework and I won't have a hangover tomorrow."

"I'll walk out with you, Ali," Kate had finished bidding goodbye to Carla. "I'll see you at work, Michelle. You won't be offended if I don't put the rainbow flags out just yet, will you?" She grinned, causing the other woman to roll her eyes.

When it was down to just the three of them, Michelle's smile dropped a little and she glanced worriedly over at Carla. The older woman had just about managed to hold it together in front of her extended family, but it seemed to be a different story now only herself and Ryan remained in the flat.

"I might as well go back to finish my shift, give you both some space." Ryan sighed, still looking guilty. Michelle gave a small nod, squeezing his shoulder in thanks.

"It wasn't your fault, Ry. You weren't to know."

The man offered his mother a grateful smile, before stopping in front of the other brunette on his way out.

"It's okay, he'll come 'round Aunty Carla." Ryan tried to reassure the woman, giving her a quick hug as she wiped beneath her eyes, her shoulders still shuddering from the effort it was taking not to release the floodgates. As soon as the flat door clicked shut, her face crumpled and she let out a quiet sob.

"He said so many horrible things about me... about us. He hates me."

"He doesn't." Michelle replied firmly, blinking tears from her own eyes. She took Carla's hand and lead her to the sofa, sitting down herself before pulling the other woman into her lap. "Let the shock wear off, okay?" And give him time to come up with a damned decent apology, Michelle mentally added, grazing her fingertips along the other woman's back comfortingly.

"How can what we feel be wrong or disgusting?" Carla frowned, more tears flowing down her cheeks as the showdown replayed in her head, causing her to flinch slightly, as though the words were being shouted in her ear.

Michelle rocked her gently, brushing a kiss against her forehead.

"It isn't," She whispered, her breath warm, lips fluttering against Carla's skin as she spoke. "Everyone else accepted it, didn't they? Kate and Jenny even said they were happy for us!"

The heaviness that had set in her heart lightened slightly at Michelle's reminder. It seemed everyone else was on side, even if Johnny wasn't. Carla was shocked as sharp shard of anger stabbed her her chest, her head lifting from Michelle's chest abruptly.

"He didn't even want me for forty years! He was hardly the perfect dad and now suddenly I'm disgusting because I'm not playing the role of ideal daughter?"

"Hey, hey," The younger woman sat up slightly, trying to placate the brunettes sudden onslaught.

"I didn't need him back then and I don't need him now. I had you keeping me safe. And I've still got you. Which says so much more about our love than anything he said to try and taint it."

Michelle gently took hold of the worked up woman's face, brushing her thumbs lightly over her cheekbones. "And you will always have me," She promised, her voice soft as she tried to coax Carla down against her chest once more. "Come here, let me tell you something..."

She waited until the older woman was settled back into her hold and began stroking her hair in an attempt to relax her further.

"I think it started when you left for Devon. I mean, there was definitely something there. I didn't want you to go and I was miserable for so long after you left." Michelle murmured, brushing a comforting fingertip over Carla's cheek once more when the other woman looked guilty. "Hey, no, I'm not telling you this to you feel bad." Leaning forwards, she pressed a reassuring kiss against her lips, before continuing. "But I think I truly knew when... you know, before Aidan..." She trailer off, worried about upsetting Carla further, but the older brunette was looking up at her curiously, waiting for her to carry on speaking. "When we fell out, because you kept the whole Robert taking steroids thing from me." There wasn't any accusation in her tone, she was simply stating a fact. "I wasn't mad because you had a secret with him, or even that he was holding a secret from me. I was mad because _you'd_ kept it from _me._ And I didn't think we had secrets. I thought we told each other everything." She held her hand up to stop Carla from speaking when the older woman had opened her mouth, probably to apologise needlessly.

"I know why you did it, Carla," The younger woman smiled, tucking a strand of chestnut hair behind the other woman's ear. "I understand you thought you were doing what's best, but I remember feeling so hurt that you felt you couldn't tell me straight away. Because I thought that meant that... we didn't have the connection I thought we had. When something happens, bad or good, you're always the first person I want to tell, whether I spoke to you directly or I could only text you."

"Hashtag blessed..." Carla murmured, causing the other woman to let out a soft laugh.

"Exactly." She nodded, pulling the other brunette's body closer to her own. "You're my person. No matter what happens, you're the person I always want by my side."

"I felt like my world was crashing down twenty minutes ago, now I feel like I'm dancing on top of it." Carla smiled, her eyes still red but the sadness had ebbed away. She sat up in the younger woman's lap, slinking her arms around her neck before stealing a lingering kiss, wondering how each time it felt like the first one all over again. "I don't half love you."

"I love you too. I always have, just in different ways."

They held one another's gaze for a moment, the adoration in wide hazel eyes symmetrical to that in sultry green hues. Carla couldn't believe how intensely happy she felt in that moment. They had a future together now, one they could live out freely.

"Hey! Shall we have dessert? It seems a shame to let all your hard work and talent go to waste." Michelle suggested innocently, attempting to manoeuvre Carla from her lap so she could head for the kitchen area. However the older woman suddenly placed both of her arms either side of Michelle, wrapping her fingertips around the back of the sofa and holding on, preventing the other woman from moving her. At the seductive smirk that spread across Carla's lips, it dawned on the younger woman exactly which way her words had been taken.

"What kind of dessert?" Carla murmured, her mellifluous tone causing the younger woman to shiver. This time when their lips connected it was with more passion, Carla wasting no time in deepening the connection, the brush of her tongue hot and slick against Michelle's. When they broke apart, panting slightly, Carla raised her eyebrow, still awaiting the other brunettes response.

"Well?" She grinned, raising one perfectly arched brow. The younger woman bit her lip, her eyes darkening as she pretended to be contemplating the two options.

"Both kinds." Michelle giggled, laying back against the cushions as she pulled her down for another kiss.

 **A/N: thank you for continuing to read my story and for leaving such kind reviews! I appreciate it so much. The idea of a star projector was one I actually stole from Hollyoaks (which I don't usually watch but just happened to come across it). One of the kids had one and it looked gorgeous! My first thought was hell yes, that would make a cute date! I'll let you know how it goes if I ever have the courage myself to ask someone on a 'star gazing' date. (;**


	12. Chapter 12

**T/W: violence, mentions of suicide and mental health.**

"Do you know what's funny?" Ryan asked, as they sat back on the sofas in Speed Daal. As promised, Michelle and Carla were taking both of the younger woman's sons out to dinner, as a belated thank you for helping haul belongings and suitcases during their move. They were slumped comfortably against the cushions, waiting for their table to become available.

"Your face?" Ali offered, pressing his lips together as he tried to act nonchalant, shrugging one shoulder casually.

"That comment might sting if it wasn't absolutely clear that I am at least a hundred times better looking than you, maybe even two hund-"

" _Boys,"_ Michelle warned, raising her eyebrow at the pair of them. "Go on, Ry,"

"Technically, _I'm_ not related to Aunty Carla at all, yet I'm the only one who hasn't tried it on with her. Do you think it's genetics? You're all just wired to find her appealing in that way? I mean no offence-" He added hastily, clocking the bemused look on Carla's face. "There's nothing wrong with you, but you're _Aunty_ Carla."

"Well thank you for that, Ryan." Carla spluttered, as Michelle dropped her head in her hand and shook it slightly, closing her eyes.

"You know," Ali began thoughtfully, his brow knitting together as he contemplated Ryan's previous statement. "There's got to be some kind of psychology behind that, surely? It's an interesting point."

"And by interesting you mean thoroughly disturbing?" Michelle hinted, her face scrunching slightly at the complexity of their family. "Firstly, I did not 'try it on' with her, as you so eloquently put, Ry, and secondly, Ali please don't start psychoanalysing this one, I'll only end up seeing her during supervised visits behind a glass screen for my own protec- no, Carla!"

I'm retaliation to Michelle's teasing, the other brunette and grabbed hold of her waist and began to tickle her sides, causing the younger woman to curl in on herself as she tried to hold the other woman off.

"What were you trying to insinuate about me?" Carla smirked; her fingertips dug in lightly and she fluttered them over her skin, while Michelle tried to flinch away from her, giggling and squealing.

"Is this endearing or unsettling?" Ryan frowned, aiming the comment at the Doctor beside him, who looked as though he was struggling for form an answer to the question.

"They're happy," Was the response he decided to go with, sitting back slightly as he glanced around the room, his eyes settling anywhere other than the flirtatious exchange that was happening in front of him.

"Well, there's such a thing as too happy. Hey! Spare a thought for all us lonely hearts, yeah? Sickening." Michelle's legal son berated them mockingly.

Carla stopped teasing the other woman and instead wound her arms around her neck, sitting so close to the younger brunette that she could almost be in her lap. Green eyes sparkled with adoration as she gazed up at Michelle, the smuggest grin forming across her lips as she leant her head against her shoulder. She certainly felt happy, happier than she thought she would have felt considering everything that lay over their heads. The younger woman pressed a light kiss against the side of Carla's head, sighing in contentment.

Their second of peace was ruined by an almighty crash which caused the group to jump and look around to find the source of the noise.

"Kate? Kate what's happened?" The youngest Connor woman had flown through the doors, looking completely terrified, panting slightly due to having run from the Bistro.

"I need...I'm looking for...well, anyone... I don't know." She gasped between breaths, clutching a stitch in her side as she leant over the back of the sofa, using one hand to prop herself up.

Carla had pulled herself up quickly and placed one hand on her sister's shoulder, Michelle and her two sons looking at Kate, concern plastered across their features.

"What's happened? It's okay take your time..."

But the young girl shook her head, taking another deep breath before speaking again.

"It's Robert. He's gone... crazy. He hit Daniel but I think he's okay, just unconscious. He threw everyone out and he's locked the door."

Michelle clapped her hands over her mouth, jumping up from where she was sat.

"He didn't hurt you did he?" She asked, a wave of momentary relief washing over her when Kate shook her head.

"No, he was just shouting. Daniel was trying to calm him down."

Unzipping her bag, Michelle dug around in it for a moment before pulling out a set of keys to the Bistro.

"Er- Michelle? What are you doing?" Carla questioned, raising an eyebrow as she took in the other woman's actions. "You're not going over there!"

"Well we can hardly leave them!"

Without waiting for a response, she'd thrown her bag over her shoulder and turned her back on the group, beginning to stride purposefully out of the restaurant.

"'Chelle, wait for us!" Picking up her own bag, she turned to the boys and jabbed her thumb behind her, signalling for them to follow. "Ali we might need you."

The doctor was already on his feet and halfway towards the exit before the words had fully left her mouth.

"Ryan why don't you stay and look after Kate? I doubt you'll me much use." Ali shrugged, causing the other man to look positively outraged.

"Like hell am I letting my mum and Aunt face that nutter on their own!"

"While you're both arguing Michelle actually _is_ on her own." Carla snapped, abandoning the two men to their impending spat as she dashed out of Speed Daal, moving as fast at her heels against the cobbles would let her. She hadn't expected to hear footsteps behind her quite so suddenly, but was pleased that Michelle's sons seemed to have come to their sense at her words.

As they ran across the street, gaggles of people were headed away from the Bistro, paired up or in groups, most looking disgruntled and one complaining loudly about how he was going to be leaving a strongly worded review on their page for his trouble.

"And if he thinks he can entice us back with vouchers, he can think ag-"

"Oh, get out of my way!" The older brunette barked, roughly shoving by the oncoming crowd, creating a clear path for the two boys and Kate, who she hadn't even had time to tell to stay put.

Relieved that Michelle hadn't yet entered the Bistro, she could see her struggling with the door, roughly twisting the keys in the lock, frustrated that the door wouldn't budge.

"I think he's left the keys in the other side- Ryan!"

At her words, her son had aimed a heavy kick at the door handle, almost toppling to the floor until Ali roughly grabbed a handful of the blue hoodie he was wearing and dragged him up with a disgusted scoff.

"Come here," Ali took the keys from Michelle and thrust them into the lock, giving it a sharp, forceful twist. There was a faint clatter as the keys from the inside fell to the floor. Cautiously, the doctor grasped the handle and pushed his way into the Bistro, closely followed by Michelle, Carla, Ryan and Kate.

It was eerily quiet inside the restaurant, with only the faint dripping of remnants of liquid that had spilled from smashed bottles splashing onto the floor. There were a few tables upturned, metal chairs that had been thrown across the room and glass crunched under their feet as they stepped into the chaos.

A low groan sounded from beneath one of the tables. Daniel pushed himself wearily to his feet, blood dripping from his lip.

"Hey, mate, you're alright." Ali was over in an instant, instructing him to sit down so he could examine what thankfully seemed to be a superficial wound.

There was a sniff from behind the bar, the sound causing the group to momentarily freeze. Despite hisses of caution, Michelle crept over, her heart pounding erratically in her chest. Robert was in his gym gear, a lame blue t-shirt darkened with a triangle of sweat that extended from the neckline and stained down his chest. His knuckles were bruised, flexed around the bottle of whiskey gripped right in his fist. The rapid rise and fall of his chest made Michelle wonder if they should be phoning an ambulance.

"Robert?"

He didn't answer, acting as though he couldn't hear her at all. Raising the bottle to his lips, he took a measured gulp, choking slightly as he forced the amber liquid down. The bottle was well over half empty, his eyes were glazed and out of focus, the purple shadows underneath them contrasting alarmingly with his pale, clammy face.

"What happened?" Crouching down, Michelle stretched a tentative hand towards the man, who suddenly came to his senses and jumped to his feet.

" _You did!"_ He shouted, as the brunette woman rapidly backed away, joined in a second by Carla and Ryan, who attempted to tug her even further from the enraged chef. Kate eyes were round, her face full of fear as she watched from the table she was sat at; having gathered up a cloth for Ali, she was now sat helping him tend to Daniel who was insisting he was absolutely fine.

Michelle shook her head, closing her eyes as a pained sigh escaped her lips. She'd been heartbroken enough times, she knew how it felt and in that moment she wasn't sure what was worse, to be destroyed or be the one destroying someone else.

"What does she have that I don't? Besides the obvious." He sneered, raising the bottle to his lips and taking another swig, his eyes screwing shut as the liquid burned down his throat. Michelle didn't answer, she ignored his jibe and attempted to reason with him once more.

"You've had a blip, you can pull yourself up from this. Don't throw your life away-"

"But you threw us away, Michelle!" He screamed, struggling to his feet but falling back clumsily against the wall. "I was there for you when she wasn't! I was the one who stopped you jumping off that railway bridge!"

"What?" Ryan's voice came from behind her, he looked from Robert to his mother, then threw his gaze to Ali, wondering if he'd known, but the Doctor wore an expression identical to his own; a mixture of shock and concern. His eyes met Carla's next, but his Aunt shook her head, a heavy sadness in her eyes. It had been information Michelle had trusted her with when she'd paid a visit to Devon.

Michelle felt her face burn with shame at his revelation, unsure of whether it was him divulging information which she thought had been confidential between them, or the fact that there was some truth in his words; he had been there, yet she hadn't been able to help him.

"Robert, I know I'm not your favourite person-" Carla shocked even herself as she spoke out to the man, but the younger brunettes eyes were glistening with tears and she'd felt more than useless stood about watching the pair. Slipping by Michelle, she left a lingering hand on her back for a moment, reassuring her, before standing directly in front of the other woman's ex fiancé. "-but take it from someone who knows, drinking does not make your problems go away. And neither will whatever else you've taken."

"Don't you dare lecture me!" He spat, rounding on the older woman viciously. "You destroy everything you come into contact with, you're nothing but a ticking time bomb. It's only a matter of time before _you_ press that self destruct button and blow everything up. And we both know Michelle will be first in the firing line."

Carla closed her eyes momentarily, willing herself not to get wound up. She knew it was exactly what he wanted and so she took a deep breath in order to calm the bubbling anger in her chest that was rapidly rising to the surface.

"You've said yourself that we're alike, so you know that I know what I'm talking about. You need proper help, Robert." Cautiously, she reached up in an attempt to take the bottle from his hand, but his other flew up from nowhere and seized her wrist in a vice-like grip; she felt it twist painfully as he curled it out of the way, holding her at arms length.

"No!"

"Don't!"

Both Michelle and Ryan had shouted out simultaneously, their own hands frozen in front of them as they made to take a step towards Carla.

The older brunette winced, her eyes filling with tears. A ripple of fear burned across her shoulders, panic stinging her throat as the mans crushing hold stirred up memories that she worked hard to keep locked in the back of her mind.

"Please don't hurt her," Michelle begged, her voice barely a whisper, shaking in terror. "Let her go..."

"Robert, come on. This isn't you, this isn't who you want to be." It was Ali who spoke out this time. He was stood by the bar, having dashed across when it looked like he was about to get physically violent. His eyes flickered to where he had Carla in a bruising grip, before looking back at the Bistro owner, trying to catch his eye. "We know you're hurt and you're angry, you have every right to that way after a loss, it's normal. But whatever you think you want to do to Carla, that's the substance talking, that's not you. We know you don't want to hurt her."

While the Doctor was speaking, Michelle had attempted to inch closer. Carla was trembling, her shoulders quivering from the rapid breaths she was taking. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment as she battled against rising nausea; Roberts grip on her wrist was so tight she was beginning to feel pins and needles in her fingertips.

"Come on, mate. Let her go and you and I can go across to the medial centre right now. I'll make sure you're seen, we won't leave until you've been given the right help. I'll oversee the treatment myself."

There were tears on his face now, realisation seemed to be dawning on him as Ali spoke. Slowly, his hold around the woman's wrist slackened and he allowed his hand to fall limply to his side, letting out a cry as he placed down the whiskey bottle and dropped his head in his hand. Reaching over, the Doctor placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and guided him around the bar. Carla was still frozen in place, numb, the rush of blood in her ears blocking out Michelle's footsteps. She didn't even react as the younger woman threw her arms around her.

"Come on, lets all just get out of here." Ryan shuddered, playing a comforting hand on Kate's shoulder; the young girl looked completely horrified, watching Ali, who had one hand on Roberts back, start to lead him towards the exit.

Blimey, what's gone off here?" Jenny cried, witnessing the group spill from the Bistro, Ali leading the owner out of it and in the direction of the Medical Centre. Despite not having spoken to either of the two since arguing, Johnny wore a concerned frown as his two daughters, niece and great-nephew trudged towards the pair, all of them looking somewhat traumatised. Kate offered to walk Daniel home, but he assured her he'd be fine and told her to stay with her family. She gave him a quick hug before he departed across the cobbles, making him promise to message her later on.

"Robert had a complete meltdown." Carla sighed, speaking for the first time, feeling able to do so after a deep breath of air. She was clutching her wrist and rubbing her thumb against what she was sure would end up being a lovely commemorative bruise. Michelle caught the action and stopped, reaching out to take her hand so she could inspect the injury. She was shocked when the older woman whipped it away.

"Carla?"

"Just leave it."

"What...Why?"

She stopped so abruptly in her tracks that Michelle almost walked into her, causing Ryan and Kate to jump back to avoid a collision themselves.

"I told you not to go over there, didn't I? Why couldn't you just listen?" The older brunette's tone was snippy and she crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for the other woman to reply.

Michelle was completely taken aback at her attitude, she glanced uneasily at Johnny, not wanting to begin arguing with Carla in front of their least favourite fan.

"I couldn't just leave him like that, could I? Or Daniel!"

"Well then you should have phoned the police, like we wanted you to the first time. Instead of dragging us all over there when he was in that state!" The fear she'd felt moments before had faded into an intense anger that burned in her chest and Carla was unsure whether she was overreacting. It had been stupid of the other woman to run straight across to danger, but the doubting voice in her head was suggesting that Michelle had had other reasons for wanting to rush to Robert's rescue.

"I didn't drag any of you here, you followed me!" The younger woman defended, searching Carla's eyes in an attempt to try and work out where this sudden onslaught had stemmed from.

"What were we supposed to do? Let you take another battering? You've got people here who care about you, Michelle, but you only seemed to care about _him._ We could have all been hurt, he's dangerous!"

"He isn't dangerous-"

" _He's addicted to steroids, Michelle!"_ Carla cried in frustration, the noise attracting plenty of unwanted attention. Locals were stopping in their tracks to listen with interest; some pretending to be on phones or do up laces, while others blatantly gawped without any kind of subtlety. It seemed that news of Robert's breakdown had started to spread around the street already, and upon finding the Connor's caught up in some sort of commotion, the onlookers were keen to find out more information. "And God knows what else! Are you that thick?"

"Don't speak to me like that!"

"I can't do this, Michelle. I can't sit worrying that you're going to run to him every time he cries for your attention, wondering whether he's going to beat the living daylights out of you, or Ryan, or anyone of us; wondering if he'll turn up at the flat for me-"

"He won't do that!"

" _Why are you still defending him?"_ Carla fumed, shrugging Kate off as she tried to place a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to get her to calm down. "What do you think you owe him? Or were you lying when you said you didn't love him?"

"I wasn't!" Michelle protested, angry at the insinuation. Neither of the two were thinking rationally, if they had been they'd perhaps realise that the stress of the situation was causing them both to behave in a way which could be avoided if they allowed themselves time to calm down, allowed themselves comfort from their family and one another. "I can't be doing with this jealous streak-"

"Jealous? Don't flatter yourself! I've told you if you want to go back to that waste of space then that's absolutely fine!" Michelle's comment had only stung because there was a slight truth to her words, but the fact that she'd bleated it out in front of the whole street had caused her walls of defence to shoot up against the humiliation that she felt colouring her cheeks.

"Am I not allowed to care about other people? It might come as a bit of a shock to you, Carla, but some of us can't just switch 'selfish-mode' on at the drop of a hat!" The younger woman argued, lashing out herself at the other brunette's seemingly crass comment.

"Oh don't talk rubbish." Carla snapped, angered by the insinuation. "I care about people, Roy and our family, I just don't bend over backwards for the likes of folk like him. And to be fair I thought thought you had more about you, too. He's allowed this unbreakable hold over you just because 'he was there-"

"Yeah, he was, Carla! And why was that? Because _you_ left me! Did you care about me then? When I begged you to stay and you turned your back on me, ran off like you always do!" Michelle regretted the words as soon as they'd left her lips, she saw the flash of hurt in green hues for a mere second before the brunette quickly composed herself, a skill that had come with too many years of practice. Pain and guilt were masked with a blank indifference. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry, Carla, that was uncalled for. I didn't mean-"

"Go on then. Go back to him. You don't have to pretend I mean anything to you just because we had a quick rebound fumble in the sheets."

The words hung in the air, raw and vulgar. It was silent, silent enough to hear the fluttering or whispered murmurs from the local onlookers. The younger woman's mouth fell open, her eyes darting around their unwelcome audience, cheeks coloured in humiliation at the implied cheapness of their relationship that had been screamed out for the whole street to hear.

There were people they knew; Maria, who'd stopped in her tracks while on the way to the Kabin, exchanged a wide eye's glance with an equally shocked and gleeful looking Tracy, before they focused their gazes back to the arguing duo surrounded by their family.

Ryan was stood with his hands on his head, his cheeks puffed out as he waited on baited breath, looking completely horrified at how quickly things had exploded. The worst part had to be the way Johnny regarded the women, his expression sorry, though every part of his face screamed 'I told you you' as he shook his head in disappointment.

Carla could feel her own eyes stinging with tears, but she forced them back, her face trained to remain hard and passive. It had been a low blow, but she hadn't started it and in that moment the doubts her father had placed in their relationship suddenly seemed viable.

"How could you say that?" The words were barely a whisper as they left Michelle's trembling lips, her eyes glossy.

Carla ignored the tug on her heart and shrugged, pursing her lips.

"We were clearly kidding ourselves."

The younger woman was barely able to contemplate the meaning behind her words, her brain whirring as she struggled to work out how their day had become so extremely and rapidly disastrous. She opened her mouth again, but found she had absolutely no words. Heart plummeting to her stomach, she turned her back on her family, on Carla, and walked away.

 **IXIXIXI**

Carla was back at Roy's. She hadn't slept, her hair hung limp around her shoulders and her face was nearing grey. It was barely five in the morning, but the days were getting lighter, yellow rays were peeking through a sliver in the curtains. Swallowing painfully, she remembered being disturbed that way before; she'd open her eyes and watch as the golden glow picked up the highlights in Michelle's hair. Her fingertips twitched as her brain unhelpfully reminded her of how she'd stroke over silky locks, causing the other woman to stir and in her half-asleep state, she'd reach out and curl her arm around Carla's waist, pulling her closer. The older brunette wrapped her own arms around herself and let out a quiet sob, quickly swiping at her face as she heard the cafe owners bedroom door click open.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" She croaked, having previously clattered around making herself a coffee. She hadn't taken a sip, it was sitting on the table almost completely cold; she'd merely wanted something to do.

"It seems we're both having difficulty sleeping. Although I must admit, it's largely due to concern for you on my part."

Carla looked guilty, pushing her hair back as her brow furrowed in stress.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to put on you again like this."

"An apology isn't necessary, I'm always happy to help. I'm sure in time yourself and Michelle will be able to put aside your differences."

Scoffing, the brunette woman shook her head, before dropping it into her hands.

"We said horrible things to each other."

"People tend to say things they don't mean in the heat of the moment." He assured her, taking a seat across from her. Her stomach flipped when her phone lit up, but she wasn't sure why she'd got her hopes up. Neither of the women had messaged one another since arguing in the street, part stubbornness, part hurt and partly because it was impossible to even begin to try and work about what looked to have been an extremely public break up. Carla shuddered at the thought. Breaking up? Already? They'd been together mere weeks. She felt humiliated, scared, and the _guilt._..

"Carla?"

"She'll never forgive me, she won't want to live with me. She's just gone through all that with Robert and I've gone and done the same thing, I bet she's panicking-"

"If I could-" Roy began, holding up an apologetic hand as she interrupted her distressed ramble, watching her wipe beneath her eyes once more. "-I think, if both parties were prepared to communicate, that you'd be able to come to an agreement, should you both wish to maintain the friendship or...or otherwise."

Tears pricked in the corner of her eyes once more. She picked up her coffee cup just for something to do, almost gagging when the first sip reminding her that the brew was stone cold.

"I can't just be her friend, Roy, not now. This is what we were afraid of."

 **IXIXIXI**

She wasn't sure quite how, but Carla had managed to drag herself into the shower and get ready for the day. It was with a pang that she realised the jeans she'd pulled on were the ones that had belonged to Michelle. Johnny had messaged her asking if they could meet in the Rovers. She wasn't sure she'd forgiven her father and she was looking forward to seeing him even less considering what had happened, but he'd said he wanted to talk about reconsidering challenging Aidan's will. It seemed he'd finally relented and was going to be supporting the idea of an impending hearing. Getting the factory back was going to be the only thing keeping her going if things weren't going to work out. Her stomach twisted, as it did every time she replayed Michelle walking away from her. And she hadn't shouted her back. Why hadn't she stopped her? Ran after her? Apologised...

With a heavy sigh, she pushed open the door to the pub and clapped eyes on Johnny straight away. He gave her a small smile and waved his hand, gesturing for her to take a seat.

"I got you a drink." He indicated to the glass of red and Carla thanked him, taking the seat opposite.

"Shouldn't everyone else be here if this is about Aidan?"

"They're coming, but I just wanted a word first. How're you doing?"

Carla dropped her gaze, absentmindedly stroking over the rim of the glass in front of her.

"Do you want specifics or is there a scale?" She muttered, taking an obligatory sip of her drink. It burned down her throat, tasted almost sour when she remembered the last time she'd drank. How sweet it had been. Curled up in the sheets with the younger woman after everyone had left, sharing the dessert wine together.

"Okay, out of ten how rubbish do you f-"

"Ten." She took a larger gulp of wine, grimacing slightly.

Somewhat hesitantly, Johnny reached out and placed her hand on top of Carla's, managing a sympathetic smile.

"Carla, I am sorry for what I said when I found out. It was the shock and...And, well, I was afraid of this. Look at the state of you now and I bet she's no better. What's going to happen?"

"Million dollar question, that."

They sat in silence for a moment, both caught up in their thoughts on the situation.

"I love you both, I can't take sides."

Carla looked up, biting the inside of her cheek to stop herself from tearing up. Part of her was touched at his statement, relieved that he didn't hate her. But there was such a finality in his tone, as though he believed they weren't capable of coming back from the fallout.

"I wouldn't want you to pick sides, it's a horrible thought and if it ever came to that, you'd better all damn well pick Michelle's side because like hell would I see her lose anyone else. God she deserves so much more than what life's thrown at her."

Johnny stared at her, realisation spreading obviously across his face as she finished her rant. The determination that sparked in her green eyes, the passion in her voice that hadn't even been quite as present during her vow to get Underworld back.

"You'd put her happiness before your own?"

"If only I'd have done that yesterday." She whispered, blinking back the moisture that had formed in her eyes, her heat clenching painfully in her chest.

"You love her." It was a statement, not a question. One that sounded like acceptance. His tone has been gentle and she couldn't detect any judgement in his words.

She pressed her lips together, giving a small nod.

"Since the way she looked at me when I left."

"And you're absolutely sure that she doesn't love Robert?"

Carla thought about it. Michelle wouldn't lie, not about something like that. She didn't have it in her, she was too good hearted. _Too good for you._ The brunette woman tried to shake off that voice in her head, shaking off a truth that she had so far been unable to admit to herself. There was a reason she loathed Robert so much, a reason she knew he wasn't good enough for her.

"She hasn't loved him for a long time." She truly believed the words as she spoke them, but tried to quickly put out the flickering flame of hope that had sparked in her chest. "He's been addicted to those things for too long, I think it changed him. He had a heart attack and she called it off, she couldn't cope anymore. I went around to see her after and she..." Carla trailed off. She didn't want to divulge much information about that night, that was their night. A hint of a dispirited smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she recalled the image of the younger woman in her dress, breathtaking but heartbroken. Johnny hadn't pressed her for further information, bit he'd sad back looking thoughtful, processing what knowledge he had gained from their conversation.

They didn't have time to continue, the door had opened and both Kate and Ryan had spilled through it, looking cautious as they approached the table.

"How's Michelle? Where is she?" Carla instantly quizzed her nephew, who raised his eyebrows at her.

"She's still getting ready, she was crying." He sighed, sliding into the seat beside Johnny as Kate went to get them both a drink. The older woman's brow creased, her expression completely guilt-ridden. Unable to look her nephew in the eye, she picked up her drink once more; this was the second time he'd come face to face with her after an argument. Although he hadn't given her any reason to believe it, she was positive he probably hated her for upsetting his mother.

"She didn't sleep at all last night. I told her not to worry about the Bistro, I mean I've been hounded with messages since the video, but she was inconsolable over you. You've both got to sort this."

Kate had finally joined them, sliding Ryan's pint across the table before flopping down next to her older sister.

"Was she panicking?"

The shake of Ryan's head provided her with a tiny amount of comfort, but the thought of the younger woman laying awake all night in tears caused another stab of remorse somewhere in her gut.

"That was quite the blazing row. Still, you can't have fallen out for good, can you? It's madness if you're both this upset!"

But Carla wasn't listening, the door had opened once more and her eyes had snapped up, instantly fixating on the pub's newest customer.

Michelle had walked into the Rovers and sauntered straight over to the bar to order a drink. Perched against it was Steve McDonald, who offered her a smile in greeting.

"Are you alright, Michelle?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. How're you?"

"Yep, all good...Uh, I'm sorry about what you went through with Robert."

Michelle frowned, she would never be ready to discuss her disastrous relationship with her ex-husband, whom she had also had quite the disastrous relationship with. She outwardly winced, her stomach dropping as she reminded herself that it was likely this time, _she'd_ ruined another. This one couldn't be so easily swept over. She was unsure what was worse, the thought of not being able to be Carla's friend again, or the possibility that friends was all they were going to be.

"I heard you had a fall out with Carla too." He arranged his features into a sympathetic smile, awkwardly patting the back of her hand in what was probably supposed to be a comforting gesture. "If you need to talk, I'm here. I know you two were...close."

Raising her eyebrow, Michelle briskly pulled her hand from under his, understanding at once that Tracy must have spoken to him about what she had witnessed the day before.

"Why don't you just ask me what you want to know? Instead of pretending to be all concerned."

"I am concerned!" He protested, his mouth falling open in an attempt to act offended. His resolve lasted all of three seconds. "I did hear what people were saying but I haven't been gossiping or anything. When did-I mean how long.. I just-"

"A few weeks ago." She replied bluntly.

"Weeks?"

"Yes, weeks. What, do you want specifics? Here pass us your phone I'll put it in your calendar for you!"

Despite everything, Carla couldn't help but let out a cackle of laughter at her sarcasm. At the sound, the younger woman span around and their eyes met for the first time.

It was a relief to see the hazel eyes looking back into hers were no longer angry, however Michelle did look upset and just as confused as Carla felt. Biting her lip and feeling uncharacteristically nervous, the older woman shuffled from the booth she'd been sat in with their family and took a few cautious steps towards her, daring to feel reassured when the younger woman started to make her way across to her. She wasn't wearing much make up and her young-looking face was loaded with regret.

"'Chelle..." The older brunette murmured, their arms automatically sliding around one another as they met before their brains had even given their bodies permission to do so.

"I'm ' _Chelle_ again, am I? That's a good sign," She smiled, her own face just as deprived of sleep as Carla's. Although she'd covered it well enough with what little make up she did have on, up close her eyes were tinged with pink and the shadows beneath them peered through the concealer.

"I don't even know where to begin," The older brunette murmured, sliding her hands up and down Michelle's arms, biting her lip as she struggled to form the words. "I don't know why I said what I did."

"We both said things we didn't mean, didn't we?"

It was difficult, both women aware they had an audience once more but desperate to try and sort the rift between them. Michelle's dark eyes were glistening with tears, Carla could feel her body trembling beneath her fingertips. They came together at the same time, foreheads lightly connecting, eyes fluttering shut. There was a moment of silence as they soaked in one another, relishing the closeness. Carla felt the other woman's brow knit together in emotion.

"Can I come home tonight?"

At the tentative tone of the question, Michelle let out a relieved sob, moving back slightly to cup the other woman's face in her hands.

"Hey, you drama queen," Carla whispered, even as tears slipped down her own cheeks. Michelle brushed them away with her thumb, continuing to stroke the pad of it over her brow.

"Oh come on, please kiss and make up already!" Ryan called out. Both he and Kate had been following the exchange back and forth eagerly, agreeing that it was absolutely more exciting than any of the reality TV shows that had aired that year. It seemed that the pair hadn't doubted a reunion at all, which have Carla some form of comfort; maybe they had just over reacted, maybe things might work out yet.

" _Literally!"_ Kate chuckled, her hands gripped tight around her drink.

The two women embraced one another tightly. Carla let out a sigh as her hand brushed through silky tresses, exactly the way she'd imagined doing so that morning. She could feel the younger woman's arms squeezing her tightly, the cold tip of her nose against her skin as she nuzzled into the crook of her neck. Every fibre of Carla's being screamed at her not to let the younger woman go, she inhaled the familiar floral scent of her shampoo, stroked her hands over the soft material of her top as she grazed her fingertips down her back. Michelle mirrored her actions and weaved her own hand through Carla's hair, brushing against the outer shell of her ear when she moved chestnut locks behind it, pushing the dark tresses out of the way so that she could press her lips against the side of her head. The familiar cushion of them against her skin caused a whimper of longing to escape from the older woman's lips, one both only herself and Michelle heard. Carla's hands moved to hold her face, green hues pleading silently as she tilted her head, bringing the other woman's mouth down towards her own.

It could have been just the two of them left in the world, her surroundings melting away, ears deaf to the idle chatter which seemed to have faded from her existence. Michelle's lips moulded around her own in the way they'd become accustomed to, but that didn't stop her heart from fluttering as though it had never happened before. There was so much more elegance in the way the younger woman's lips worked against her own, the way she managed to increase the pressure but without the hardness; her kisses were silk and feathers, a hint of sweetness, a flavour she'd grown familiar with.

The applause that followed came from the direction of where the two younger Connor's were sat, Johnny trying to hush them as they whooped and cheered, much to the distaste of Tracy Barlow, who had joined her unfortunate partner by the bar.

"Well it's astounding what some people will do for attention!" She cackled, watching the two women with distaste as they broke apart, only to reconnect one more with a briefer, yet just as meaningful kiss. She gave Steve a sharp nudge when she spotted him gawping at the embracing duo, observing the way Carla pulled back and stroked an affectionate finger down Michelle's cheek. "You're well shot of her."

"Mm, well, there's really no point in a donkey having a diamond, when he has no idea of it's value." Carla quipped, breaking another kiss she'd gone in for only so she could throw a victorious smirk over Michelle's shoulder.

The younger woman let out a snort of laughter, slipping her arm around the older woman's waist to lead her back to the booth without even giving Tracy the satisfaction of a backwards glance.

"Oh, thank God for that." Ryan breathed, his hand over his chest as she let out a sigh of relief. "My nerves have been shot all night! I thought I was going to be coming from a broken home." He laughed, lifting his pint from the table to take a victory swig on the two women's behalf.

"I still don't think we should be taking it as lightheartedly as you all seem to be. Especially given what's just happened." Johnny sighed, sliding further into the booth in order to make room for the two women. "But I'm not going to stand in the way or make things anymore difficult for you. Just promise me that you'll be careful."

"Yes don't you go knocking up my sister." Kate spluttered, causing Ryan to choke on his own drink as he clapped her on the shoulder.

After Johnny had said what he needed to about finally agreeing to push forward with Aidan's inquest, Carla's spirits were a lot higher than they had been a few hours before. Both her and Michelle had even stayed for a few more rounds in the pub. Well, two more on their part to be precise, however Ryan and Kate had been across to the bar several times to their one.

"We should get off really," Carla suggested, sometime after finishing her third drink. "I think we've got things to talk about, haven't we?" She smiled warmly at Michelle; giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Though their argument was well and truly over, she still felt as though the air needed to be properly cleared between them, wanted a chance to be able to apologise properly without displaying their private lives to any onlookers.

"'Talk', yeah, right," Kate smirked into her drink, her words slightly slurred as Ryan scrunched up his face, giving her a nudge.

"Can you not?" He blanched, swilling the dregs of lager around in his glass, his eyes cast to the table as he mumbled. "I think I'll stay here a bit longer." He checked his watch before eyeing his mother pointedly. "Two hours, to be precise."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Kate called, after the women had bid their family goodbye, trying to hide the flush in their faces and avoid eye contact with Johnny after the antics of the two younger Connors. "Oh, actually, Carla you know if you ever need any advice-"

"Bye, Kate!" The older brunette dragged Michelle out of the door and away from prying eyes, shaking her head slightly, though she was chuckling too as she linked her fingers with the younger woman's.

"Hey, you two!"

"Flippin' 'eck, what n- Oh, hi." Carla had whipped around, rolling her eyes as she prepared herself to face what sounded like it might have been an altercation, but had turned to find Maria strolling towards them, a grin across her face.

"Don't 'hey' me! Why was I one of the people who had to find out through your massive slanging match?"

Carla's cheeks flushed slightly, and she glanced sheepishly at Michelle, who gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"We're sorry, we just didn't want to make a big announcement. Well, up until mouth here broadcasted it." The younger brunette rolled her eyes, though there was a flicker of fear in her chest as she prepared for their friend's reaction to the confirmed news.

"And there's slightly more to it than what I chose to share." Carla added in quickly, desperate to make amends for alluding that their relationship had been some kind of sordid, worthless rendezvous.

"Yeah, I gathered that. Ryan filled me in earlier." The young hairdresser crossed her arms over her chest, looking the two women up and down. "I'd have never have guessed it, even though looking back I suppose it should have been obvious. Everything's okay between you both now, isn't it?"

Carla felt the relief once more as Michelle nodded.

"Yeah, it's all good. And we're sorry we didn't tell you properly."

"Oh, don't worry about that. Just promise we can have a proper catch up at some point? I want all the gossip and a blow-by-blow account of how all this came about."

The three of them laughed, Carla promising Maria that they'd set up a lunch date at some point with her. The young hairdresser bid them both goodbye and the pair headed somewhat tiredly back to their flat. It was barely even tea time, but the lack of sleep each of the women had suffered was definitely starting to take affect. Michelle leant sluggishly into the other woman, who wrapped an arm around her waist as they waited for the lift, neither of them thrilled on the idea of taking the stairs.

It wasn't exactly an awkward silence, but there was definitely a hint of tension as they entered the apartment together. Shedding her coat, Michelle went to make them both a coffee, while Carla slung her bag over the back of the chair and made her way over to the sofa. The drinks were placed on the table in front of her, but neither of the women picked up a mug to drink from.

'"Chelle, do you resent me for leaving to go to Devon?" There was no anger in Carla's tone, not even a hint of accusation. The older woman was looking curiously up at Michelle, green eyes swirled with only sadness and regret.

The younger woman's expression softened, she reached down to take her hand and brushed her thumb against the back of it. She hadn't meant the words at the time they'd spilled from her lips and she meant them even less now that Carla had pulled off her mask of indifference; nothing but sorrow clouding her expression.

"Of course I don't resent you." Michelle whispered, her other tilting the other woman's chin, making sure Carla could see the sincerity in her eyes. "I shouldn't have said what I did, it was uncalled for and I am so sorry." She touched a soft kiss to her forehead, feeling the other woman's arms wind themselves loosely around her waist.

"I wouldn't have blamed you even if you had meant it." Carla eventually answered, her lips twisting as she fought with the guilt.

The younger woman shook her head, wishing she could rewind and take the words back. If there was anything Carla as good at, it was shouldering blame and Michelle knew that life had brought her down enough, without the other woman's own mind betraying her.

"Carla, I swear to you I don't blame you for leaving. I was mad at the time and upset, but it was for selfish reasons. I just didn't want you to leave because I knew how much I'd miss you, how much I did miss you." Letting go of Carla's hand, she instead brought both of her own up to lay against her face, stroking over well defined cheekbones. "And if you'd have forced yourself to stay just to suit me, I'd have absolutely hated myself because we both know you needed to get away. God knows what would have happened if you hadn't."

"I nearly lost you, that's what happened," The older brunette sniffed, blinking away the moisture that was beginning to gather around her eyes.

"But you didn't; everything worked out this way for a reason. Maybe if you'd have stayed, we wouldn't be together like this."

Looking into the hazel pools above her, she knew she believed Michelle. The younger woman didn't resent her. Why she didn't, Carla would never be able to work out. Part of her thought she'd maybe always feel ashamed that she hadn't been there for her best friend through everything she had suffered while she was hiding down in Devon.

"Would you have really jumped? If Robert hadn't been there..."

"I...don't know." It was an honest answer, even if it wasn't the one Michelle would have liked to have been able to give. "At the time, it felt like there was just no point. But I was overcome with grief, I wasn't thinking clearly. When there's no light, it can feel like you're going to be stuck in the dark forever but...You know that, don't you?"

The older woman swallowed, a small nod following Michelle's question. They both knew what it was like to be pushed to the edge, quite literally. Carla abruptly pulled the other woman against her frame, holding her in a desperate embrace. She could smell the floral, slightly zesty scent of perfume that lingered by her neck as let her chin rest against her shoulder. Hatred still burned within whenever she thought about Robert, but even with everything that he'd done, she knew she would always be grateful for his existence for that one reason.

"Hey, are you crying? I didn't meant to upset you."

She hadn't even noticed, it was only when she pulled back and saw the mascara smeared over the shoulder of the white blouse Michelle was wearing, felt the dampness when she brushed her hands across her own face that she realised she had succumbed to tears.

"You know," Michelle continued, reaching up to lightly clasp her hands around the back of Carla's neck. "It did make me realise something. While it seems as though there's no way out, it actually only takes something small, just the tiniest glimmer of light, to be pulled back from the edge."

Michelle caught the way Carla's face dropped slightly, the way her lower lip trembled and moss green eyes sparked with sadness. She spoke again and Carla was genuinely convinced that she could read her mind.

"But I was lucky, because someone happened to find me. I didn't tell anyone how I was feeling, the thoughts I was having. How could anyone have guessed? What I might or might not have done that night wouldn't have been anyone's fault. So that blame you've just placed on yourself about not being there for Aidan..." she trailed off, stroking her thumb against the other woman's cheek as another tear rolled down it. "It wasn't his fault or ours, it was tragic and terrible and I can only hope in my heart that he's at peace, with the rest of our family." Carla nodded in agreement, the way Michelle had put things into words seemed to make so much sense, that even the self-deprecating voice in her head was struggling to find something to place fault on her for. She made a mental note to suggest something similar to Kate and Johnny, hopefully she could ease a little of the guilt she was sure they too still carried.

"Michelle..."

"Oh no, full name again? Thats ominous..." But the younger woman was smiling, her tone light as she began to brush Carla's hair back from her face.

"You've got such a beautiful heart."

Michelle's smile grew watery, her brow creasing slightly as she brought her head to rest against the other brunette's.

"And I love you with every last beat of it."

Unable to answer, Carla took handfuls of the thin material of her top and tugged the younger woman towards her, pressing her lips against Michelle's in a firm kiss. The younger woman responded eagerly, having missed her completely the previous night. Not wanting to waste a second, she gently pushed the other brunette backwards, fluttering kisses over her neck. Carla closed her eyes and let out a gentle sigh, feeling goosebumps prickle over her arms. But there was something else, something she couldn't work out. Normally she had absolutely no complaints about the other woman's touch, craved more of it whenever she got a hint of it, it was usually never enough. But the pleasurable shivers turned into prickles of fear along her shoulders. Annoyed at herself and in an attempt to push it back, she caught Michelle's lips in another hard kiss. She felt Michelle's hands slide along her arms, take hold of her hands and push them above her head, pinning them down against the cushions. As her fingertips graded over her wrist she felt a harsh pain, triggering the memory of the day before. Robert grabbing hold of her, she hadn't been able to move, like the last time she couldn't move and she was trapped again now...

"'Chelle, no, stop." Breaking the kiss, she pushed the confused woman away from her, holding her at arms length as she tried to regulate her breathing.

"Carla, what's wr-" Michelle's eyes had snapped to where the other woman's hand clasped her shoulder. She recoiled in horror, wondering why she hadn't noticed before, why Carla hadn't told her. Deep purple imprints were present along the side of her arm, four to be exact, with a large round bruise splayed over the inside of her wrist. Michelle's own hands flew over her mouth, it took seconds for her eyes to fill and the moisture to spill over onto her cheeks. "Oh my god..."

Panting slightly, her heart still thudding erratically in her chest, Carla pushed herself so she was sat upright; a wave of nausea washed over her as she did so.

"It's okay-" She tried to reassure the younger woman, though her eyes fluttered shut and she exhaled deeply through her nose once more, fearing if she opened her mouth she might throw up.

"It isn't okay! Look what he did to you!" Michelle let out a sob, her fingertips stretching out towards the other woman's hands but instantly thinking the better of it and retreating quickly. "I didn't realise it was so...Oh God I'm sorry. It's my fault."

"It's not," Carla whispered, finally bringing her eyes back up to Michelle's face. She looked completely stricken, her eyes wide with terror. "You know, this is exactly how I felt when he first gave you bruises..."

Michelle shook her head, her brow furrowing in distress. "It's not the same, he hadn't grabbed me in temper like he did to you." Her hand stretched out again, this time stopping just short of Carla's, before glancing hesitantly up at her. "Can I-?"

Nodding, Carla reached out so that Michelle could take her hand. The other woman still didn't.

"'Chelle, it's okay for you to touch me."

As soon as the older brunette had voiced permission, Michelle's fingertips enclosed gently around the back of her bruised wrist, her thumb lightly stroking over her marred skin as she brought it closer to examine the damage.

"You were right, I shouldn't have made you all come across." She felt sickened with herself for having lead Carla into danger, completely aghast at herself for bringing to light one of the worst experiences the older woman had ever been through.

"I wouldn't have let you go there alone. Besides, no one made me try and take that bottle from him. It wasn't your fault, 'Chelle. I don't blame you so please don't blame yourself."

Swallowing the lump that had wedged itself painfully in her throat, Michelle brought her hand up closer and brushed her lips against her bruised skin, pressing gentle kisses over her wrist. Carla watched the tenderness of her actions, it was moments like this which served as a reminder of just how much love and care the other woman always had to offer her. It still shocked her, as though she would never quite be used to the fact that Michelle wanted to be this way with her, love her this much.

"I think I only hated him so much in the first place because he reminds me of myself." Carla didn't know where that statement had come from, she thought she'd buried that well and truly in the back of her head. Michelle's lips left her skin and she looked up, confused.

"What?"

"You know, the selfishness, gambling, addictive personality, the temper. Hurting you...You were too far good for him...And I guess that also means you're too good for me." It had felt almost a relief to say it, although she was terrified that Michelle would suddenly agree with her. When she did dare to look up, the younger woman was looking utterly aghast, her dark eyes glossy once more.

"Is that what you think about yourself?"

"Suppose we can add pathetic and self-pitying onto the list." Carla shrugged, flopping against the back of the sofa with a heavy sigh.

"Stop it, Carla. You are nothing like him, do you hear me?" Michelle had launched herself forward and took hold of the other woman's face, making sure she couldn't look away. "I mean it, you've got to stop this hatred of yourself. You don't deserve it." The pad of her thumb traced along Carla's well defined jaw, attempting to soothe her.

"I still gambled. I still turned to alcohol-"

"Life has thrown some terrible things your way-" The younger woman began to defend on her behalf.

"We've all had it tough."

"Stop down-playing it. You've made mistakes, but who hasn't? You've been through so much, there's not a manual for how you're supposed to deal with stuff like that. In the end, you accepted help and you're okay now. And if things did get bad again-" Michelle was stroking over the back of her hair now, her eyes still fixed determinedly on the scared ones in front of her; those green hues were once more filled with doubt. It made her chest ache, knowing that Carla was at her most vulnerable when she let her in this way and all she'd ever had from anyone else was broken trust and a whole load of let downs. "I'd be right here with you until things got better again."

The lump was in Carla's throat now as she struggled to hold back her emotions. Michelle's eyes were so intense, so sure of how much she felt for the other woman.

"And even though you think so badly of yourself, do you want to know what I think?"

"Only if the answer isn't going to set me off." Carla murmured, running out of reasons to make the other woman see that she was bad news. Although it was pointless to act as though Michelle had no idea who she was, when it had been the younger woman who'd helped her through most of the things she'd listed.

"I think you're the bravest, strongest woman I've ever met. You push back against everyone who tries to knock you down and no matter how many times you've come close, you've never once given up. Bottom line, darlin', is that you are absolutely incredible. And if you'd just have a word with that voice up here-" Her fingertip lightly tapped the side of Carla's head. "-give it your fiercest 'I'm-the-boss-not-you attitude, and tell it to shut the hell up, then we can prove it wrong. The way you do when anyone else doubts you."

"I said don't make me cry." The tears had started to fall as soon as Michelle had started to speak, she hadn't bothered to try and force them back. The younger woman lightly smoothed them away, saddened upon realising the extent of just how much Carla doubted herself, but also hopeful that she'd managed to get through to the other woman. She wasn't naive in thinking this would be the last of the issue, but she was absolutely resolute that Carla would see in herself at least half of what Michelle knew she was.

"We can make a proper go of things, now. We've told everyone, we have support from our family. We'll get you the factory back and things will be okay. We'll be happy, I promise. It's going to be perfect."

If there was only one person in the world she could put her trust in, she knew it would be Michelle. She knew what to say to quell her doubts where others wouldn't even know she had them in the first place. The fluttering warmth in her chest was familiar but not at all at the same time; she supposed she'd known love, but not on top of a connection that had already been so deep, built over so many years. Michelle was gazing down at her with an adoring smile across her face, the one that she'd always had for her but had never pondered the meaning of.

"I believe you. I love you."

"I love you, too."

The words didn't even seem enough to express the extent of how she felt. Gathering the younger woman in her arms, she tilted her head and leant in for a kiss. Michelle responded carefully, cautious about pushing too far, however soon relaxed when Carla ran a reassuring hand through her hair. It was soft and the two kept it that way, enjoying the warm pressure as their lips melded around one another's. When they broke apart the older brunette continued to scatter kisses over the other woman's face, kissing her forehead, making her giggle when she pecked the tip of her nose, smiling herself when it twitched cutely.

As she settled into Michelle's arms once more, she couldn't help wondering once more how they'd never noticed the way they seemed to slot together. Glancing up at her face once more, she couldn't help but admire her, her outfit beautify definitely reflected her inner; she was undoubtedly stunning.

It was with a joyful leap in her stomach that she truly realised they were now completely free to focus on the future they had together and Carla couldn't wait to start building it.

 **[a/n: I'm so sorry for the delay in this update! I had such a panic over my writing and was stuck with writers block! I'm not amazingly happy with this chapter, but at this point I really wanted to get an update in. Thank you so much for everyone who has reviewed, sent me messages asking for updates and reassured me that they are enjoying my story. It really means such a lot to me, you're all so kind!]**


	13. Chapter 13

**Tw: semi-explicit scenes.**

Michelle's stomach fluttered with nerves as she peered into the mirror. Exactly two weeks ago, she'd quit her job at the Bistro, vowing she'd never work with Robert again after he'd laid hand on Carla. Today, she was getting ready for the first wedding she'd been asked to sing at. Between working with her current clients, she'd kept herself busy with rehearsals and dealing with a stream of requests that had come flooding onto the online page she'd originally set up for planning only. Time seemed to have rushed by since she'd accepted the first offer, though she reminded herself that it was only two songs she was needed for; this seemed to calm the butterflies in her stomach. Of course there was excitement too, but the pressure of possibly stuffing up a line and ruining someone's first dance had plagued her dreams on more than one occasion. Carla had been fantastic, Michelle couldn't have asked for anymore support, the amount of faith the older woman had in her made her glow with happiness.

The woman staring back at her in the reflection of the mirror looked completely different, healthier, a spark of hope in her eyes that hadn't been there before; it felt like things were going to be okay. For the first time in a long time, she'd settled into a life she could see herself continuing indefinitely. Picking up her perfume, she spritzed it around her neck and applied it to her wrists. Finally, she was ready. It had only taken her the best part of three hours; she'd woken up at six that morning, reluctantly dragging herself away from Carla's sleeping form and the warmth she'd been providing. The other woman had forced a coffee and toast on her, claiming she'd never get her eyeliner on evenly if her hands were shaking. Michelle had to admit, applying the winged liner across her lids had gone a lot more smoothly than she'd been anticipating after a sufficient breakfast. Running her tongue over her teeth, she parted her mouth to check that no trace of the red lipstick she'd painted across her lips had stained them. On finding them clean, she took a step back to examine her reflection as a whole. She was wearing a deep blue pencil dress with a modest neckline and capped lace sleeves; the material clung to her figure, following the dip of her waist and flowing smoothly over the curve of her hip, the hem resting a little below her knees. Silky tresses of hair cascaded down her shoulder, styled in loose hollywood waves; one side pinned elegantly above her ear and secured with a jewel embellished hair slide.

"Mum, are you nearly ready or what? We've got to set off soon!"

Plucking the black blazer that she'd hung over the chair, she slid her arms through the sleeves and stepped into black court shoes which she knew would cripple her by the time the day was finished. Pausing to check her hair was still in place, she gave a satisfied nod before pushing her bedroom door open and hurrying out ink the living area.

"Finally!" Ryan clapped, looking uncharacteristically smart in a black suit with a deep blue tie.

"Oh let me look at you both-" Carla had come hurrying from the bathroom, her hair swept up sloppily on top of her head and a dressing gown wrapped around her slender frame. She'd stopped in her tracks when she caught sight of Michelle, one hand flying to her mouth.

Cliche's were thought to be just an overused figure of speech, however in that second she truly was blown away. Intense green eyes swept the younger brunette's form, her other hand resting on her chest which because to best rapidly against her palm as a rush of air left her lips; a breath she hadn't even realised she'd been holding, finding herself, most unusually, at a complete loss for words. When her eyes finally reached Michelle's, the younger brunette offered her a shy smile.

"Will I do?"

"'Chelle..." Carla finally managed, goosebumps covering her arms; she'd allowed herself to get completely lost in her again as she directed her line of sight over the younger woman once more, so elegant and beautiful. "You're stunning."

Hazel eyes lit up, a hint of a blush sweeping across Michelle's cheeks as she took a few steps towards the other brunette.

"Right, I think I'll start taking my things down to the-" Not wanting to interrupt what was clearly a moment but also not sure he wanted to stand and watch the impending displays of affection, Ryan attempted to leave the two women alone.

"No, no come here-" Whatever trance she's been in, Carla was suddenly snapped out of as her nephew spoke, reminding her that they weren't alone. "I want a picture of you both!" Producing her phone from the pocket of her dressing gown, she gestured for Ryan to go and stand with Michelle.

"You do know it isn't actually either of our wedding days, right?" Ryan laughed, rolling his eyes but slipping his arm around his mother regardless and smiling into the camera.

"But it's your first day in the job, all the same." Carla shrugged, waiting until Michelle was also beaming at the camera before taking the photo. "You know, this might be screensaver-worthy." She peered at the photo, biting her lip as she brushed her thumb over the screen. If the photo was beautiful, it was nothing compared to the real view in front of her. To her embarrassment and the other two's bemusement, she felt her eyes well up and rapidly blinked the moisture away.

"Right, well I'm definitely going to help load up." Striding across the room, Ryan picked up the bag containing his guitar and slung it over his shoulder. He glanced back and told Michelle not to be too long, before giving Carla a wave and heading out of the door, calling out mischievously before the door shut. "You're going soft, Aunty Carla!"

"He's got a point, what's up with you?" Michelle laughed lightly, walking across to the other woman and taking her hands.

"You look _unreal,"_ The older brunette whispered, shaking her head slightly as their eyes met. Michelle smiled again, however continued to regard Carla in a slightly suspicious manner. Surely, that couldn't be all there was to the older woman's emotional display? Letting go of one of her hands, she instead tipped Carla's chin.

"Is that all?"

"I just can't believe how lucky I am, that's all."

Michelle's expression softened, her head tilting to the side as she curled an arm around Carla's waist. Standing in heels put her a few inches taller than the older brunette, who'd wound her arms loosely around her neck, the younger woman gazed down at her, taking her in. With a her face clean of make up, strands of hair that had slipped loose from the sloppy bun on top of her head, she looked so true to the real Carla, the one very few knew about. It reminded Michelle of when they'd been younger, still at school and she'd sometimes stay over, usually when the older brunette had needed an escape. The make up fierce quips she hid behind during the day were removed and they'd talk for hours; if she was in a particularly good mood, Michelle could usually get her to agree to letting her play with her hair, messing around with different styles as they chatted idly about weekend plans and how to bust Carla out of detention early.

"I'd argue that I'm the lucky one." Michelle murmured, lightly stroking down her cheek. She let out a light chuckle, pausing at the corner of her mouth where she used the pad of her thumb to gently swipe away a smear of toothpaste.

"You're going to get the sack, you know? You're not supposed to upstage the bride. She'll be fuming when you rock up looking like you do."

Michelle felt her cheeks heat up, partly from her words but mostly due to the way the other woman continued to drink her in, the way her eyes darkened as she bit her lip, subconsciously flicking the tip of her tongue over the lower one. They came together at the same time, their lips brushing softly as Carla's hands dropped to the younger woman's waist, pulling her flush against her body.

"I've got to go..." Michelle breathed, very reluctantly pulling back, touching her forehead to the older brunettes feeling somewhat breathless.

"What time will you be home?"

"Hopefully late afternoon. I'm only doing two songs; they've invited me to stay through the whole day but I've got to chase up some RSVP's for a client." She reached out to tuck one of the fallen strands of hair behind Carla's ear, lightly stroking a fingertip along her jawline. "But Ryan's staying the whole night with the rest of the band..." Her voice had dropped to a husky murmur and the other woman's breath hitched, a thrill of excitement rippling down her spine.

"Go on," Carla whispered, nodding towards the door. She was slightly worried about her resolve if Michelle stayed in front of her for another second and she doubted the younger woman would be particularly forgiving if she were to ruin the pristine elegance of her appearance.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Michelle stole a second, brief kiss from the older woman and picked up her bag. She paused at the door and turned back to face Carla, who made absolutely no attempt to hide the fact she'd been openly ogling her figure as she'd walked away. She was wearing a suggestive smirk across her face, one eyebrow raised cockily.

"Were you just objectifying me?"

"Oh, absolutely."

Michelle blew her a kiss, shooting her a wink before disappearing out of the door. Carla picked up her phone once more, admiring her new wallpaper. As she stroked her thumb over the screen she wondered, with a spark of hope which she was shocked to find brought her just as much excitement as fear, if it was a possible glimpse into her future.

 **IXIXIXI**

"It looks like security have finally got around to fixing that smoke alarm." Michelle called out as she stepped back into the flat, trying to gear herself up to hitting the mountain of work that was piling up on her laptop. "Hey, something smells nice! Have you been cook-"

The rest of her words were cut off when she was pulled into a searing kiss. Carla had appeared from seemingly nowhere, spinning her around and using fistfuls of her blazer to tug her closer. It took around half a second for the shock to wear off for Michelle to respond with vigour, allowing the other woman to push her jacket from her shoulders before starting to guide her back towards the bedroom.

"You're keen." Michelle smirked between the battle of kisses, their room door swinging open as Carla reached behind her to twist the handle.

"I've been thinking about you since you left this morning."

The older brunette raked her hands over the material of the form fitting dress Michelle had been wearing, wasting no time in grasping hold of the zip and tugging it down her back.

"Thinking about what, exactly?"

"You look amazing in this dress," Carla murmured, pulling the sleeves over her shoulders and beginning to slide them down her arms. "But I want you out of it."

Michelle's own hands fell to the buttons on the pale blue blouse the other woman was wearing, making short work of them while she dipped her head to scatter kisses down her neck. She grinned against her skin when Carla let out a sharp gasp, tilting her head black. As Michelle's lips reached her collarbone, it took everything in her not to lie back and allow her to continue, but that wasn't what she'd had planned. Making the younger woman's task easier, she pulled her own top over her head, discarding it carelessly before returning her hands to guide the rest of Michelle's dress down her trim frame.

The breath left her lungs; the other brunette was now wrapped in nothing but silvery grey lace, the set was semi-transparent and caused Carla to swallow heavily, her mouth feeling suddenly dry.

"Oh God, look at you...Come here."

Only too happy to oblige, Michelle fell against the older brunette, allowing her to guide her down against the pillows in a flurry of fierce kisses. What little clothing the younger woman still had on soon disappeared, Carla's soft hands were gliding over her skin, leaving trails of fire on their wake. It was torture, wanting all of her at once but not wanting to miss a single inch of her. Much to Michelle's dismay, Carla broke off the deep kiss they were caught up in, but her disappointment was short lived when the older woman began to plaster them across her chest. They descended down her stomach and she let out a whimper of longing, knotting her hand through Carla's and giving it an encouraging squeeze. She was already feeling the sparks of electric when the tip of her tongue joined the kisses, the other woman was nipping her way down her skin and when she felt her tongue swirl over her hipbone, she tensed in anticipation. Carla paused to check the younger brunette was okay, finding her dark eyes silently begging.

"Please," Was all she whispered, watching intense green eyes disappear as she finally dipped further down her body...

The younger woman fell back against the pillows, gasping. She was quivering, her skin glistening as she struggled to catch her breath, her fingertips finally uncurling from where they had been gripped in tightly in chestnut tresses. Michelle might have been satisfied the first time her body had tensed and she'd cried out against her administrations, but Carla certainly hadn't been. She'd continued to work her mouth until she'd had to clamp a hand over the younger brunette's own for fear that someone in the neighbouring apartments might have thought someone was being tortured. Which she had done, she supposed, a smug little grin forming across her lips as she recalled the way Michelle had called out her name, physically jerking away from her onslaught as she was sent over the edge once more. Making sure to press light kisses against the younger woman's thighs, she began her ascent up over her body until she was hovering directly over her.

If she thought she'd looked beautiful before, it was nothing compared to how Michelle looked in that moment. Her previously carefully styled hair was splayed out across the pillow, strands of it falling across her face and rippling against her skin with each of her heavy breaths. Hazel hues came into view, her eyes were only just fluttering open, the crease of her brow smoothing out as her face relaxed, her gaze unfocused when she turned her head to gaze blearily up at the older woman. Carla reached down to cup her face, stroking the pad of her thumb against her damp cheek, flushed with heat. Despite the high quality of the lipstick she'd been wearing, it really hadn't stood a chance against their passionate exchange, but her lips were still a deepened shade of red, a mixture of bruising kisses and how hard she'd bitten down on them each time Carla had reduced her to a shaking mess against the sheets.

"Stop looking so smug," Michelle finally managed to murmur, which caused the other woman to let out a throaty chuckle. She dipped down and pressed a tender kiss against her heated lips, lightly nudging their noses together.

"I hope you don't think I've finished with you yet."

Michelle raised her eyebrows, still panting heavily as her body still attempted to recover from the multiple assaults of pleasure. She let out a satisfied hum when Carla leant down to kiss her once more, lightly sucking her lower lip between her own. An almost pained whimper escaped from her mouth; the older woman's hand had swirled across her chest, her nerves completely over-sensitised to her touch.

"I know you've got more in you."

"I've had an early start today."

"You sang two songs, I'm giving those vocals a proper work out." Carla smirked, latching onto the side of the younger woman's neck, feeling the muscles tense under her fingertips as she ran her hand down her stomach.

"Carla," The younger woman groaned, tilting her head back, frowning when she caught the scent of smoke in the back of her throat.

"Carla..."

"I know, be patient..."

Her dark eyes swivelled to the door and widened, almost throwing Carla off of her when she bolted upright.

"No, Carla, look!"

Smoke was billowing from the slim gap in the doorway, giving the room the hazy appearance that Michelle had assumed was down to her own vision after the older woman's previous antics.

Carla jumped up from the bed just as the smoke alarm sounded through the flat. They scrubbed around find their respective dressing gowns and wrenched the bedroom door open.

"I thought I'd turned it down!" The older brunette was stricken, the kitchen completely hidden by vast amounts of thick smoke.

Placing her hand over her mouth, Michelle hurried over the the window and flung it open. There were footsteps thundering by the flat door, it seemed like the main alarm had gone off and there were muffled voices and loud banging on the door.

" _Is anyone in here? We need you out, now."_

Having fought her way through the thick smoke, Carla had managed to switch the oven off. If there had been a fire there, it must have been minuscules because she couldn't see any flames and it had seemingly died out now; but not before having polluted the air with a terrifyingly thick grey blanket. The banging on the door was becoming more insistent. Michelle hadn't managed to make her way towards it yet, having been busy opening the other small windows around the flat.

"Look, it's fine. It's fine, it was a kitchen accident." Carla called out, tugging the door open at last, only to be met with someone presumably from security.

"The main alarm has gone off, so we'll still require you to make your way out of the building."

"Can't we at least get dressed, properly?"

"It's health and safety policy, please vacate the premises."

The brunette woman glared at him; most of his mouth was concealed with a thick, brown moustache, flecked with grey and, in Carla's opinion, made him look at though he'd taped a scrubbing brush over his upper lip. She was barely able to make out his eyes, they were hidden beneath a black baseball cap which bore the logo of some security company, whoever had been hired for safety and maintenance.

"I'll be having words with your gaffer." She snapped, taking hold of Michelle's hand as she joined her in the doorway. "He says we've got to go downstairs."

"What? But the smoke's clearing now!"

"Look, it's policy so you can either take yourselves off the premises or I can call my colleague and we can escort you."

Throwing him a venomous glare, Michelle gave the other woman a gentle push, guiding her out of the door where they joined a few of the stragglers from the floor above who were making their way down the steps.

"He had a right stick up his-"

"The elevators are out of bounds." A voice thundered down the hallway and Carla growled in frustration; the first pair of shoes she'd had to hand were her stilettos, they weren't made for stairs and definitely weren't made to match up well with nightwear.

Despite it being late afternoon, there was an ample crowd of people stood outside Victoria Court. Much to both of their dismay, customers had come flocking out of Roy's and few had even leant their heads out of the kebab shop, necks straining as they tried to get a glimpse of why the fire alarm was still piercing the air.

"Carla, are you alright?" Roy himself had come flying out of the cafe on hearing the fire rumours; he was hurrying over with his apron strings trailing behind him.

Carla covered her face, groaning in embarrassment.

"Yes, nothing's on fire. I left something in the oven that's all."

"So there's no one in need of first aid or assistance?"

"No, it's all fine Roy, really."

Now his initial panic was over, he suddenly seemed to become aware of the two women's very inappropriate attire. Shuffling awkwardly, his eyes remained glued to the pavement below his feet as he gave an understanding nod.

"I'll return to serving..."

It was painstaking, Michelle's cheeks flushed a fiery red as she hid her face into Carla's shoulder, letting out a meek whimper as the older woman wrapped her arms around her.

"This is mortifying."

"And it's freezing."

She felt the younger brunette's arms rubbing against her satin clad back, trying to create a little warmth between them. Huddling closer, she dropped a light kiss against her hair. It had been sleek, now it was rumpled and waves spilled down in a disarray of tangles, the feeble sunlight picking up auburn tones within the curls. They could hear the distant sound of sirens and the older brunette let out a sigh, looking completely fed up.

"Oh, no."

Michelle's heart sank at the sound of Carla's voice. She should have known her day had gotten off to too good of a start. Striding purposefully towards the block of flats was Robert. What he'd been doing at the cafe Michelle neither knew or cared, but found herself wishing he'd have damn well stayed put.

"What the hell has happened?" He demanded at no one in particular, dark eyes creasing as he squinted up at the flats, trying to scope out his own apartment. Multiple murmurs carried through the small group of people; Robert caught hold of the phrase 'kitchen fire'.

"For goodness sake, it _wasn't_ a fire!" Michelle lifted her head from Carla's shoulder when the older woman shouted, running a soothing hand over her hair. "It was an accident."

"Oh, I might have known it had something to do with you." Robert grimaced, eyeing the other woman with intense dislike. They hadn't set eyes on one another since he'd grabbed hold of her in the Bistro. Although he not wanted to hurt her, he certainly hadn't seemed sorry that he had. "Drunk were you?"

"Why are you so bothered?" Michelle snapped, jumping to Carla's defence both figuratively and literally. She'd stepped in front of the other woman, folding her arms across her chest. "You got a stash up there, have you?" She hadn't bothered to keep her voice down, but he couldn't snap here, not in front of everyone. A thrill of smug satisfaction shot through her veins as she watched the chef clench his fists but make no attempt to move towards them.

"You better watch what you're saying."

"'Chelle..." Carla took her hand in warning, but the younger woman spluttered with laughter.

"I'm not scared of him. He should be the one scared of me, if he ever dares to lay another hand on you."

The younger woman's voice was fierce, determined to stare the taller man down even as anger swirled in the menacing hues in front of her.

"Yeah well, I'd have rather him have a pop at me than try to hurt you again, big bullying git that he is."

The blaring of sirens signalled the arrival of the fire engine, although by now people were starting to get bored and impatient. Now they knew there was no immediate danger, they were either making their way into the cafe themselves or questioning the security officer to see how long it would be before they could head back inside.

"I'm going to do something useful and see if I can help." The chef stated with a sense of self-importance, squaring his shoulders as he prepared himself to go over to the firemen who were clamouring down the steps, their bright yellow hats horribly garish in the direct light.

"What's he going to help with with? Seasoning tips?" Michelle snorted, watching him stalk off. She turned to Carla who was biting her lip, assessing the situation.

"Maybe I should go and explain there was no fire."

"I doubt it'll make a difference, it's an automatic response isn't it?"

The older brunette sighed, wrapping her arms around Michelle once more for warmth. The sun might have broke through the clouds but it was doing nothing to raise the temperature, especially with the breeze that was pressing the cold satin further into her skin.

"Carla! Michelle!"

It hadn't occurred to either of them that there might be someone they wanted to see even less that Robert at that moment in time, but now they were face to face with Carla's father, the older brunette thought she'd rather face another round with the chef than a game of twenty questions about the previous hour with Johnny. A quick glance at Michelle told her the other woman was about as thrilled with his appearance as she was.

"I was at the pub and someone said the flats were on fire-"

"They're not on fire. I left the oven on." Carla sighed I exasperation, hoping the news of her mistake travelled as fast as the fire rumours because she was already sick of explaining herself. "I thought I'd turned it down, turns out I'd whacked it up."

Although relieved that neither of the women had been in any danger and that his own home was in damaged, he looked confused at his daughters explanation.

"How did it get this bad? Didn't you realise?"

"We fell asleep." Carla shrugged, trying to act completely nonchalant and doing her best to avoid catching Michelle's eye; she could feel the other woman shuffling shiftily on the pavement and knew she'd be struggling to keep the blush from her own cheeks.

The younger brunette chanced a glance at his face, he clearly didn't believe a word that had spilled from Carla's mouth. One eyebrow was raised sceptically as his gaze shifted pointedly to the dressing gowns they were wrapped up in. Something caught his eye, causing him to grimace and look away quickly, blinking rapidly as though he could shift the image from his mind. Confused, Michelle followed his line of sight and she instantly found what had grabbed his attention. It was only now the breeze had caught Carla's dark hair, blowing it back from her face that the exact moment her lipstick had left her mouth was revealed. One side of the older brunettes neck was smeared with red kisses, hints of rouge smudged across her collarbone. Eyes widening in horror, she prayed for the ground to swallow her whole. This might have just topped the list of most awkward life circumstances.

"Well, you need to be more... vigilant. That's how accidents happen." He berated, looking utterly unimpressed with the pair but clearly just as embarrassed. Nodding over their shoulder, it was some small mercy that the building had been deemed safe enough for people to re-enter. "It looks like everyone's allowed back in."

"Could have done with it being a fire if only for warmth." Carla huffed, blowing into her hands before rubbing them together. They'd been instructed to leave the windows open and neither of the women wasted any time in dressing in more suitable attire.

"You need to sort that out." Michelle bit her lip guiltily, nodding at Carla's neck and gesturing by pointing to her own. Puzzled, the older woman disappeared into the bathroom. Less than a second later she heard a disbelieving groan.

"'Chelle! You could have told me sooner." She sounded mortified, not that she could blame her. "No wonder folk were staring."

The whole fiasco had taken up so much time, it was with a yelp that Michelle realised she was probably going to be late for a meeting with one of her clients. Barging into the bathroom, she playfully nudged Carla away from the mirror as she attempted to smooth down her hair.

"Did that just really happen? Or am I just having a really bad dream?"

Looking somewhat offended, Michelle span around and raised an eyebrow, resting her hand on her hip. "Excuse me? I heard no complaints an hour ago."

The older brunette couldn't stop the sanctimonious little grin that formed across her lips, taking a deliberate step towards Michelle.

"But I certainly heard a lot from you."

The younger woman rolled her eyes, turning away so as to hide the colour she could feel creeping to her face.

"Where are you going, now?"

"To help someone pick out wedding favours." Michelle groaned, deciding that the loose waves tumbling down her shoulders was probably the best she was going to achieve. It wasn't her most professional look, but at least she was looking slightly more respectable after swapping her nightwear for a pair of dark jeans and a black lace top.

"Well, don't forget we're meeting Maria tonight. She's been on at us for ages now."

"I know, I'll meet you both there."

Ignoring the pointed tut from Carla when she picked up the perfume that belonged to her and spritzed it over her frame, she gave herself a final once over in the mirror before attempting to leave the bathroom.

"Excuse me?"

The older brunette had tilted her chin expectedly, her lips forming a pout.

"Much better." She grinned, after Michelle had delivered a swift kiss against her mouth. "I'll see you later, then."

"Yeah, try not to burn down the flat!" The other woman cackled, grabbing a heavy folder from the coffee table as she passed by. "Right, I'm going. I'll see you tonight, love you!"

 **IXIXIXI**

"Hey, what're you doing here?" Michelle was shocked but pleased to see that on entering the Rovers Return, her biological son was sat alone in one of the booths, flipping casually through a folder he'd opened up across the table. Ali turned around at the sound of her voice, offering her a smile.

"Hiya. I'm just killing time, I've got to set off for a night shift in a minute." He yawned, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

Slipping into the seat next to him, Michelle slid her arm around his shoulders and looked at him, concerned.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just knackered. I thought working nights would be easier, I could never sleep anyway because if the constant parties. But the digs are just as noisy during the day as they are at night, it never stops."

Michelle gave his shoulder a sympathetic squeeze, before sitting up slightly.

"Well, when do you finish?"

"I'm on until nine, it's a twelve hour shift."

Digging around in her bag, the brunette woman pulled out a set of keys, unfastening the one to the flat and sliding it across to him.

"Let yourself in tomorrow, you can catch up on sleep at ours. Ryan will be working and Carla's not exactly the raving type."

The Doctor looked hesitant for a moment, staring at the small, silver key on the table, before giving a slight nod and picking it up.

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't. Can't have you nodding off while handling a defibrillator can we?"

"Thank you," He pulled up his sleeve to check his watch, sighing softly. "I better make a move, really."

Shuffling out of the way to let him out of the booth, Michelle stood up and gave him a quick hug, promising that they would actually get round to having lunch together sometime that week. Deciding that she might as well get the drinks in, she made her way over to the bar, feeling somewhat awkward when Peter came over to serve her.

"Drinking alone?"

Michelle frowned, stopping herself from asking what business it was of his.

"Nope. Can I have a bottle of red and three glasses, please?"

"Looks like I got here just in time!"

She span around. Carla had walked through the door carrying a glossy, paper shopping bag in each hand. She looked extremely pleased about something. Of course she was dressed entirely inappropriately for shopping, with sharp stiletto heels and black jeans so tight that it couldn't have been comfortable or practical to crouch to the lower shelves or stand in line at the tills, but there was no denying she looked amazing. Especially with the excited little glint in her deep mossy eyes- she'd probably dropped on the last lair of shoes exactly the right size.

"Oh hello, been splurging have you?" Michelle returned the grin Carla still had spread across her face, slipping an arm around her so she could pull her in and steal a quick kiss from her.

"Well, retail therapy works wonders, after the trauma of this afternoon." She teased, dropping one of the bags on a bar stool so she had a hand free to keep the younger woman from moving back. The kiss she returned was longer, lingering right up until there was the sound of a throat being cleared pointedly.

"Can you at least pay for your drinks before you start creating Manchester Pride's version of 'The Notebook'?" Peter quipped, holding his hand out.

"Excuse me?"

"I've got other people to serve. I can't stand here waiting until you've decided to put one another down."

Carla opened her mouth, presumably to berate him judging by the furious look on her face, but Michelle placed a gentle hand on her arm as she pushed a couple of notes across to the disgruntled barman.

"Keep the change. Come on, darlin', leave him to it." Giving her arm a gentle squeeze, Michelle picked up one of Carla's bags, tucked the bottle of wine under her arm and lead her across to the booth Ali had left empty.

"What the hell was his problem?" Carla mumbled, slotting into her seat with a huff and placing the glasses down onto the table.

Michelle threw a furtive glance over to where Peter was stood; he immediately glanced down at the cloth in his hands, vigorously wiping over the surface of the bar.

"No idea, just ignore him. Listen, I told Ali it was okay for him to drop in tomorrow morning. He wanted somewhere quiet to sleep, he's on nights. Is that okay?"

"I can't see why not-"

"God, that's a lot of baggage isn't it?" Both brunettes turned around, finding themselves face to face with a grinning Tracy Barlow, whose smirking head had popped up over the top of their booth. It seemed she was sitting in the next one, much to their misfortune. "Two grown sprogs and her whining in your ear."

"You what?" Despite having just tried to calm Carla down, Michelle fired up instantly at Tracy's goading, her eyes flashing dangerously as she growled at the other woman.

"The only person whining in my ear is you." Carla snapped, just about having enough of people feeling entitled to comment on their business. "And, not that it is anything at all to do with you, Ryan and Ali happen to be part of my family-"

"Oh, we know you're all family." Tracy cackled, her eyes shining with malice, a toothy grin spreading across her face. "Is this... I mean, is it even legal?"

"Button it, Barlow, otherwise I'll do it for you."

Looking thoroughly pleased at having been successful in winding the two women up, she raised her glass to them mockingly, before disappearing beneath the dividing wall between them.

"Yeah that's it, back in your hole." Michelle scoffed, reaching across the table to rest her hand over Carla's. "Don't be getting into a fight with her, she's not worth it."

After squeezing her hand, she wasted no time in pouring them both a decent measure of wine, filling up the third glass for when Maria arrived. Sighing in contentment after taking a respectable gulp, she noticed Carla was staring across at her, her lips twisted to the side in thought.

"What's up with you?"

"I think I like it better when you're sat at the side of me."

Both of the brunette women looked at each other, a hint of a bemused grin on Michelle's face. There was half a second's pause before they both moved simultaneously, shuffling inwards so that they met in the middle of the booth, shoulder to shoulder, now facing the bar. The younger woman gave Carla a gentle nudge and they both giggled as she slid one arm around Michelle, the other resting against her cheek as she coaxed her closer, lightly brushing their lips together.

"Alright, alright, I've not come here to play gooseberry." Maria's voice infiltrated the air and the pair broke apart. "Although from what I hear, you two have the kind of love that sets the world _alight_." There was a clear smirk across her lips as she sat down, eyeing both Michelle and Carla with one eyebrow raised knowingly.

"Oh, _hilarious,"_ Carla laughed, sarcastically, sliding a glass of red towards the light haired woman. "I take it you've heard then?"

"That your mid-afternoon rendezvous cleared out the whole of Victoria Court? Yeah, it might have been mentioned."

"Hey, it was an easy mistake to make." Carla held her hands up, the corners of her mouth twitching at the sly smile she could see tugging at Michelle's lips. "Oh and you've actually just reminded me-"

Breaking off, Carla pulled the larger of her shopping bags towards herself and began to rattling around his inside it, tugging it further away from the younger brunette's prying eyes as she tried to lean across. Trying to keep her face completely passive, Carla pulled out a rectangular, stoneware oven dish and placed the heavy item into the arms of a very confused Michelle. The younger brunette exchanged a glance with an equally baffled Maria and turned back to Carla.

"What's this?"

Carla blinked.

"I'd have thought that might have been fairly easy to decipher?"

"It's... an oven dish?"

"Well we know what your 'Mastermind' specialist category would be, don't we? Stating the flippin' obvious."

"I don't think it's that part that's confusing her, Carla." Maria added in helpfully, pressing her lips together as she tried to contain her laughter.

"Hey, I'll have you know that's Le Creuset!" The older brunette defended, knocking her knuckles against the stoneware, as though that alone proved its durability. "Extremely high quality."

Maria lost it, dissolving into giggles with Michelle following suit, leaving the other woman utterly perplexed.

"Oh god, who is she?" Maria howled, wiping underneath her eyes as she tried to gain control of herself.

"She's been living with Roy far too long, that's for sure." Michelle choked, placing the dish on the table out of fear of dropping it as she shook with laughter.

" _She_ is sat right here, you know?" Carla rolled her eyes, taking the oven dish and stuffing it back into the back with a frown across her face. "I was just trying to be nice, seeing as I completely obliterated your other one this afternoon."

"Aw, hey, I know you were. Come here-" The younger woman pulled her into a hug and gave Carla a quick peck on the lips. "It was very thoughtful of you, thank you."

"Now try saying that with a straight face." Maria challenged, causing Michelle to let out another snort of laughter, though she instantly pressed her lips together and shot a guilty look at Carla, who suddenly looked nonchalant.

"Hey, it's fine." She gathered up both of the bags and slid them carefully under the table, completely out of sight. "Jokes on you if you think I spent all that time shopping and only brought you home an oven dish."

Michelle eye'd her suspiciously, sitting back and taking a slow sip of her wine.

"It's lovely to see you all domesticated but I've been waiting way too long to know the full story. Are you ever going to tell me how all this came about?" Maria flipped her caramel hair over her shoulder and folded her arms across her chest, nodding firmly at the two women as she waited for an explanation.

"Blame this one for your wait, not me." Carla nodded at Michelle. "You've practically got to make an appointment to see her now, she's so popular."

Glancing edgily across to the bar, Maria leant forward, dropping her voice to a low murmur as she spoke again.

"She's not the only one." Subtly she flicked her eyes sideways, gesturing with a slight tilt of her head.

She might as well have shouted it, for there was no subtlety what so ever in the way Michelle and Carla's abruptly turned towards the bar. Having been openly gawping at the women, it could have been comical in the way Peter dropped the towel he was holding and instantly dived out of sight to retrieve it. The three of them exchanged unimpressed glances.

"Do you think he still...?" Maria's voice trailed away, the rest of her question obvious even if she hadn't managed to word it.

Carla scoffed, a humourless chuckle leaving her mouth.

"There's not a chance in hell. Not even if he was the last fella on earth and the continuation of mankind depended solely on the pair of us. Mind you, I'd be doing the world a favour, what with my genetics-"

"Er, what have we said about that? Stop bringing yourself down." Michelle jumped in quickly, unwilling to allow Carla to degrade herself further. Helping her put a stop to this particular bad habit was one that the younger brunette was hell-bent on being successful in. Tipping her chin, she brushed their lips together briefly, stroking a hand down over the back of her hair. "Besides, I could very, very, _very_ distantly take offence to that."

Carla was about to reply, but they were disturbed my the blaring of Michelle's phone which was kicking up a fuss in her pocket. Groaning, the younger brunette struggled to extract it from tight denim and let out a wince as she peered at the screen.

"I need to take this, it's a client." She stood abruptly, squeezing around Carla who lightly tapped the back pocket of her jeans as she passed.

"You're too soft, 'Chelle. Tell them to get stuffed and call you back during office hours!" Carla called uselessly after her, watching her press the mobile against her ear as she walked across to the other side of the room, sitting herself in a deserted corner.

She turned back to Maria, who'd been watching the pair thoughtfully. The young hairdresser swirled the wine around in her glass as she spoke.

"She's good for you,"

"Yeah, she is." Carla agreed, throwing another quick glance over to Michelle, who was scribbling something down on the back of a beermat as she spoke. "I got so lucky."

"She's not like us is she? Affairs and lies. No offence of course." Maria added hastily, but the older woman waved her hand in dismissal; both women had made mistakes and she felt as though they should be able to talk freely about them, it wasn't like they both hadn't paid the price. "She's got her head screwed on."

"'Chelle's as loyal as they come, always has been. I've got no doubt in my mind that she won't stick by me."

Her tone didn't go unnoticed by Maria, the way Carla had dropped her gaze, her hands unconsciously starting to pick at the label on the wine bottle.

"Are you worried you won't be able to return it?"

"No, no I would never do that, not to Michelle." Realising what she'd just said, Carla glanced up looking completely horrified, clapping her hand to her mouth. "Oh, God, sorry. I didn't think-"

"Hey, it's okay. That was quite literally a decade ago, Carla." The younger woman reassured her, letting out a breath as she realised how fast time seemed to have flown by. But she'd meant what she said, she felt absolutely no animosity towards Carla, not after everything they'd been through together. It was almost strange to think that there was a point where they'd hated one another; now she had grown to be able to tentatively call the other woman a friend. The brunette seemed lost in thought too, clearly perplexed at the amount of time that seemed to have slipped by and she'd had no idea at all just how things would work out...

"Carla?"

"Hmm? Oh. I suppose I'm just worried I'll hurt her with my selfish ways. When I hit self destruct and she gets fed up."

"Well, the way I see it, whenever you've got like that it's always been when she hasn't been around. When she is, well you get through it or you don't fall down as far. That's got to mean something." Taking the bottle that Carla seemed determined to shred the label of, she unscrewed the lid and swiftly topped up the glasses, effectively draining it of every last drop. "Besides, I don't think she's so naive in thinking that things are all sunshine and butterflies with you." Her tone was light, teasing. She was right, neither of the women expected things to be perfect, but there was definitely an argument to be made about butterflies. Those things seemed pretty constant.

Carla glanced over to where Michelle was, still chatting on the phone. She caught the older brunettes eye and rolled her own, raising her hand in a mock chatting gesture; clearly whoever she was speaking to was chewing her ear off. Carla shot an affection smile in her direction, winking before turning back to Maria, who was watching her with raised eyebrows.

"What?"

"You, you're besotted." The younger of the duo was even more shocked when Carla's cheeks coloured at her observation, almost positive she hadn't seen this side to her before. "You even seem so different. I can't believe it, after all this time. I mean, it's a good thing and I'm pleased for you both, honestly."

"She actually kissed me first, you know?"

Maria hastened to swallow her mouthful of wine, coughing slightly as it slipped awkwardly down her throat.

"Really?"

"She was drunk and upset, I really thought that's why she'd done it at first. But the next morning she said it wasn't a mistake."

"Were you sober?"

"Stone cold." Carla nodded, watching the other woman absorb the information with an almost disbelieving grin. She couldn't help but smile herself; it was definitely novelty to be gossiping about something so positive. Despite the difficulties they'd been facing surrounding their relationship, it seemed that they were on a good place now. Acceptance had come from the people who were important to them and she was used to snide comments from those who had and would never like her regardless of what she did.

"But when did you realise-"

"I've loved her since before I left for Devon, I think." It was the second time she'd been asked and each time she seemed pin point in her mind the heartbreak she'd felt having to tear herself away from Michelle when she left.

"Didn't you feel anything before? Not even, you know, like a crush?"

Carla sat back, wondering how she could explain how their relationship had developed. It wasn't even something she knew for sure, herself. Of course there was absolutely no denying that Michelle was physically attractive, that was plain for anyone with working vision to see. But that hadn't been the initial attraction.

"I think I just realised exactly what was in front of me. I spent all that time searching for someone who'd be here for me, wouldn't give up on me that I completely missed the person who never had. She's the only person I don't want to disappoint. She makes me want to be a better person, for myself."

Maria had been listening intensely, watching amazed at how freely Carla spoke about her feelings; she hadn't expected her to divulge anything on that level of personal and could only conclude that the other woman must have felt secure and happy.

"I think that's the best anyone hopes for, isn't it? I'm glad you've found it, you both deserve it."

"Right, what're we talking about?" Michelle had finally managed to break free from the constant pestering she was being so frequently subjected to and had perched herself beside Carla with a relieved sigh, putting down a second bottle of wine that she'd purchased on the way back over. She leant into the older brunette, who automatically slipped an arm around her.

"Just about how much she adores you," Maria teased, as Michelle let out a laugh and Carla rolled her eyes.

"Ah, well," The younger brunette grinned, nuzzling further into the older woman and slipping an arm across her. "We better get comfortable then because quite clearly it's a subject she could go on about tirelessly!"

Thankfully, it seemed that Michelle's clients did seem to know when to call it a night. The same could not be said, however, for the trio, who had stayed talking and giggling in their seats until Peter had informed them he was locking up, so unless they wanted to spend the night trapped in, he needed them to skidaddle.

"Oh, whatever would we do? Trapped in here all night with unlimited access to wine." Maria slurred, the three of them linking arms as they exited the Rovers under the landlord's unimpressed eye. "I don't know why he's complaining, we've probably just allowed him a hefty bonus!"

"Speak for yourselves, I'm sober as a judge-" Carla broke off when the other two rounded on her, their eyebrows raised in disbelief. "What? I am!"

"You put away just as much as us." Maria argued, wobbling slightly as they stepped foot on uneven cobbles. The two older women had insisted on walking her home, although Maria had points out she was directly opposite the pub. On top of which, condsidring they were all slightly worse for wear, there was something to be said for the blind leading the blind.

"I s'pose she's used to it, being a professional lush and all."

"Watch it you, or you're on the sofa."

Michelle scoffed, retorting that Carla wouldn't subject herself to such torture and Maria slipped into the middle of the duo, re-linking their arms.

"Now, come on, no domestics or I'll have to get between you both and bang your heads together." She teased, relying pretty heavily on them both for balance; the walk directly across the cobbles to her flat seemed to be proving very difficult indeed. It was silent on the street, most lights were out although there was a flickering behind some of the windows of residents who were enjoying a spot of evening television before bed. It couldn't have been cold out, because windows had been cracked open, although it wasn't like any of the women would have been able to figure it out due to consuming more than a fair helping of wine.

"Is that a euph-euph-semism?" Michelle tried to sound the word out carefully, but couldn't quite get there. "A revenge scheme ten years in the making."

"It's exactly that. I was just waiting for you to take up with Carla and now I'm going to make you fall in love with me."

The older brunette shot them both a look as they laughed, though took pity on Maria, who was struggling to keep her bag in her hands as she rummaged through it, and helped her produce her flat keys.

"Well thank you for walking me _all_ the way home. I've had a good night."

After they promised each other they'd not leave it as long to catch up next time and speaking about the possibility of making it a Saturday evening (Carla joked that she wouldn't like to be around Maria with scissors the following morning), they bid their younger woman goodnight and made sure she'd safely locked the door before starting to make the journey towards their own home.

"We could just go around the corner and see if they've got any taxi's." Carla suggested, lacing her fingers through Michelle's, who scrunched her nose at the idea.

"I'm not in the mood for the possibility of Steve McDonald, right now. Besides, we are literally two minutes away and a walk might sober me up a bit, I've got a ton of work to do tomorrow."

The older brunette winced but didn't try to push the argument any further. They set off down the street together once more, Michelle absentmindedly swinging the shopping bag she was holding for Carla.

"Hey, be careful. If you drop that you'll break your dish!"

"Oh, how could I forget? My amazing, high quality oven dish," She teased, throwing a smirk across at the other woman who'd had quite enough of Michelle's quips about it. Stopping in the middle of the pavement, she suddenly grabbed hold of her waist which caused the woman to let out a shocked squeal.

"Apologise or I'll make you regret it."

"Excuse me!" They glanced up, one of the windows had opened above the Kabin. "Can you keep it down, some of us are trying to sleep." Came the extremely miffed voice of Brian Packham, who hadn't taken too kindly to having his sleep disturbed by the giggling duo. However his appearance did nothing to calm them, because he was accompanied by the most ridiculous article of clothing they'd ever seen. Complete with a white Pom-Pom, a pale blue, traditional sleeping cap was perched on his head.

"Ey, look 'Chelle, it's wee Willie Winkie!" Carla cackled, causing the younger woman to collapse in raucous laughter. They struggled to hold one another up as Brian huffed and slammed the window shut.

They were still giggling feebly about the encounter even as they entered their apartment, though made a conscious effort to be quiet they didn't disturb anyone else. There was a chill in the air, owing to the fact that Michelle had thrown the windows open to get rid of the smell of smoke. It had been successful, there was barely a hint of it in the air. Stepping gratefully out of her shoes, the younger woman set herself the task of closing them again, knowing that she'd soon be tucked under a cosy duvet with the appealing warmth of Carla's body curled into hers.

"'Chelle," She looked up at the sound of her name, the other woman was still stood in the kitchen, biting her lip nervously. She met the mossy green eyes that seemed almost shifty as Carla rocked on her heels, hands behind her back. Frowning, Michelle slowly made her way back over to the older brunette, worry already beginning to stir and squirm in her stomach.

"Are you okay?"

"Don't freak out," Her words only confused her even more, she was about to open her mouth to argue that she was already kind of freaking out now she'd said that, but before she could even form the words, Carla held her hands out to reveal the small, black box she'd had clasped behind her back. "It's not... anything like that."

"What is it?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out." She held her palm flat out, the small velvet box resting against her hand.

Swallowing, Michelle reached out and flipped the lid. Her mouth fell open, her eyes instantly finding Carla's as though searching for some kind of explanation.

"It's not that kind- it's a promise ring." She reassured the younger woman, hoping she hadn't overstepped the mark.

The delicate silver band separated in the middle, swirling around two sparkling Jewels, a diamond which reflected rainbows as it caught the light, the other a deep red, a chunk of captured fire that burned at the centre of the earth.

"They're our birthstones. I know it's pretty cheesy, but I thought it'd be less so than one of those soppy engraved quotes." It was though she was waiting for Michelle to pick fault and the other woman couldn't understand why. She was rendered speechless, the ring becoming blurred as her eyes filled, giving them a sparkle which could rival the glittering stones set into it.

"I know that we said we couldn't make promises about the future," The older woman continued, carefully taking the delicate jewellery from its box and catching hold of Michelle's left hand, brushing her thumb over the back of it. "And in a way, we can't, there's no way we can control it and I wouldn't want to, because if I could then I don't think I'd have ended up here with you and that doesn't bear thinking about." She was now stroking over her knuckles, the tears on the younger woman's eyes spilling over "But I told you there are promises I can make to you and I intend on keeping them. So, Michelle, I promise you-" Cradling her fingers in her hand, she slipped the delicate band straight onto the ring one, as she continued to speak. "-that I'm going to love you until the world stops turning, and I promise you that I'll make the most of every single day we get to spend together. I won't take a moment with you for granted, ever." Lifting her hand so that the ring caught the light, she admired it on her for a moment, before softly kissing the back of her hand.

Any and all resolve was lost to the younger woman, who threw her arms around Carla and dissolved into tears, squeezing her so tightly that she was almost lifted from her feet. It was such an intense form of happiness that set deep in her chest, one that was overwhelming, almost terrifying, but beautiful and certain; she knew with every fibre of her being that Carla had meant every word.

"I love you," Michelle sobbed, brushing one hand through her hair while swaying them both in the steadfast embrace. "I love you, so much."

Carla held onto her, blinking moisture from her own eyes as she pulled back, bringing her hands up to cup the younger woman's cheeks, gazing into eyes that reminded her so much of autumn, the warmth and comfort of oversized scarves and take-out coffees held in gloves hands, leaves that merged from green to brown and crunched satisfyingly under her feet.

"I love you, too." Carla whispered, her breath mingling with Michelle's as they came together, meeting in a delicate kiss. The younger woman moved her mouth softly against the Carla's, enjoying the warm pressure of her lips merging around her own. It was something they did the most of yet neither of the two seemed to be able to get enough of.

When they finally pulled back, Michelle glanced down at her hand, tilting it towards the light so that the jewellery on her finger glittered, dazzling her all over again. "Thank you, it's almost as beautiful as you."

"Does that mean I'm forgiven for the oven dish?"

They both laughed, an adoring smile spreading across Michelle's face as she slid her arms back around Carla, pulling her small frame into her chest. Slotting together as perfectly as they always had done, the older brunettes eyes fluttered shut, her head tucking nearly under the other woman's chin. It was utter contentment to be held close, and not out of grief or sadness, but purely because they wanted to remain so. It was one of those moments that they knew they'd hold onto. A moment that no one else could see, that no one else in the entire world knew about but them; just two people in a tiny kitchen, on a silently sleeping street, so completely in love.


	14. Chapter 14

**Tw: Very strong violence and description of injury.**

The first thing Michelle became aware of when her eyes fluttered open that morning was the warm breath on the back of her neck. Carla's arms were wrapped securely around her middle, holding Michelle's body flush against her own. The younger woman's back arched as she stretched, pushing her arms out in front of her. Weak sunlight filtered through a gap in the curtain and caused her hand to sparkle. Clapping her eyes on the beautiful ring that was nestled on her finger, she beamed, glowing with happiness as she tilted her wrist, rainbows and fire dancing when the stones set into the jewellery glittered. She allowed herself to admire it for a few moments longer, before turning her body around to instead admire the woman beside her.

Brushing a strand of hair back behind her ear, Michelle was yet to discover a flaw on her sleeping face. Her eyes darted down to the other woman's slightly parted lips and she was unable to resist leaning in to press her own against them. Carla stirred slightly, a quiet hum sounding from her mouth but she hadn't awakened. Or so Michelle thought. A content smile tugged at the corner of the older brunettes lips once Michelle's has pulled back.

"Mornin'," Voice husky with sleep, Carla croaked out the greeting with her eyes still closed.

"Hey," Michelle murmured in response, bringing her hand up to rest against her face, her thumb brushing over a prominent cheekbone. When the other woman's eyes finally flickered open, she allowed her a couple of seconds to adjust to the daylight before speaking again in a whisper. "You're so beautiful."

Carla felt heat rise to her cheeks, happiness radiating from her chest as she gazed up into hazel pools, her arms sliding around the other woman's trim frame. Closing the short distance between them, she returned the kiss that had roused her from sleep, this time with a little more force. She captured Michelle's lower lip between her own and ran the tip of her tongue along it, shivering when it met the other woman's, who had taken the hint and parted her mouth. They kissed deeply, enjoying one another; Carla hooked her leg over Michelle's hip and brought her closer, while the younger woman's hand weaved through dark tresses.

When they finally broke apart, it was with a satisfied little sigh on both their parts.

"I love you," Carla breathed, shuffling even further into Michelle and tucking her head beneath her chin.

"I love you, too." Michelle wasted no time in wrapping her arms securely around the other woman, grazing her fingertips down her back. She'd almost forgotten what it was like to wake up with the other woman; ever since she'd left the Bistro, her mornings had consisted of jumping out of bed first thing and rushing off to meet clients or overseeing the decorating of chosen venues. Thankfully, her first meeting wasn't due until later that afternoon and it seemed Carla was having similar thoughts to her own.

"You're normally off like a robbers dog, at this time of morning."

Michelle chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to the side of the other woman's head, relishing in the way she nuzzled further into her, her lips grazing the underside of her jaw.

It wasn't until Carla had been silent for a few minutes and the sound of her slow, even breath filled the room that Michelle realised she seemed to have dozed off once more, wrapped completely around the other woman. Biting her lip, she was content in just laying with her in her arms, unable to help the grin that crept across her face.

"I couldn't love you any more than I do right now," She whispered to the oblivious brunette, lightly caressing over her skin with her fingertips. "I wish I'd have seen it sooner, that's all, just how perfect you are for me. I'd have taken care of you, saved you from so much of the heartache you've been through..." Her thumb once more brushing against her cheek, marvelling at how young and innocent she looked while sleeping; peaceful, worry-free and effortlessly beautiful, her smoothed features could have been sculpted from marble by Giovanni Strazza himself. It was hard to believe sometimes that this stunning woman was hers. Straining slightly, her arm had unwound itself from around Carla just so she could take her phone from where it was charging on the bedside table. She quickly switched the device to camera mode and touched her lips to the her forehead, a loving smile forming across her lips as she took the photo. Holding the phone out one more time, she zoomed in slightly, this time lining the shot up to capture a photo of Carla only; even the camera loved her.

"Put that phone down or I will rid you of the ability to ever pick it up again."

"I thought you'd gone back to sleep!" Michelle gasped, having jumped at the sound of Carla's voice and nearly dropped her phone on the woman's face.

"I was dozing. You better delete that photo." Carla was gazing up at her looking deeply unamused, but also extremely appealing with hazy eyes and hair ruffled from sleep. Shaking her head, Michelle stretched across the bed to put her phone back.

The older brunette was about to berate her again but was stopped by Michelle's mouth, which had covered her own and started to work eagerly against her lips. Carla allowed her the few moments of perceived victory, before gently breaking free from the kiss and eyeing her pointedly.

"I'm not going to forget, you're going to delete those pictures."

"Let me keep them," Michelle whispered, pushing herself up and straddling the other woman, her arms either side of her frame as she held herself up, hovering over her. "You look perfect."

Carla bit her lip, her mouth becoming dry as she tried not to gaze down the front of the other woman's grey satin cami, which had dipped so low it was exposing the other woman completely. It seemed she knew exactly what she was doing too, judging by the triumphant smirk that had spread across her face.

"You won't sweet talk me."

"I'm not trying to." Michelle's hands had moved to the front of her night shirt, lazily pulling the buttons apart.

"Or distract me," The older brunette murmured, though her eyes had already closed once more, a small sigh escaping her lips when Michelle began to leave feather light kisses over the skin she was gradually exposing, her heart starting to beat a little faster.

"Should I stop then?"

"No."

The last thing she saw was Michelle gazing up at her, looking smug but continuing to plaster Carla's lithe frame in fiery kisses. Falling back against the pillows, the older brunette let out a breathy sigh, tilting her head back as the younger woman's lips drifted over her stomach and descended even lower down her body...

"Hey, darlin', I didn't hear Ryan leave." Michelle had been stood by the kettle, dressing gown wrapped around herself, when the flat door opened slowly, Ali peering cautiously into the room before stepping in.

"Yeah, he left about an hour ago," Ali shrugged, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "I bumped into him at Roy's. He, uh, told me to give it half an hour before I disturbed you both." Pressing his lips together, he turned to face his mother, raising his eyebrow pointedly.

"He- wha- oh." Michelle felt the heat rise immediately to her cheeks, her mouth hanging open as she caught on to what he was insinuating. Clearing her throat in embarrassment, she turned back towards the drinks she was making. "Do you want a brew?"

"No, I'm okay thank you. I had one at the cafe before I came over."

"Well the room's just through there," Michelle smiled, indicating with her hand. "You go and get your head down, sweetheart, you look exhausted."

"'Chelle, I said I'd make breakfast! It's the least I can do after-" Carla had waltzed into the kitchen in her own dressing gown, a towel wrapped around her wet hair and secured on top of her head. She'd been wearing a pleased little grin on her lips but after catching sight of the younger woman's son, she stopped herself abruptly from finishing the sentence. "What's up, Doc?" She tried, her grin slipping into an awkward smile as she nodded towards him.

"From what I heard, it's probably better that mum does the cooking." Ali chuckled, by way of easing the tension in the room. Carla looked sheepish as he passed her, throwing them a final smile when Michelle called out for him to sleep well.

"Is it just me, or is everyone awkward around us?" Carla frowned, sauntering over to the kitchen area where she gracefully lifted herself onto the counter, her legs swinging slightly.

"Only when they catch us in a state of undress and you skip in with that stupidly obvious smirk across your face."

Abandoning the drinks she was making, Michelle made her way over to the other woman. Carla wrapped her fingers around the lapels of her dressing gown to pull her closer, leaning down to capture her lips in a lingering kiss.

"Seriously, baby, we're going to have to tone it down a bit."

"Oh and you're going to start policing this, are you?" Carla raised her eyebrow sceptically, tilting the other woman's chin and gazing longingly into the hazel pools beneath her. They reconnected once more, Michelle's arms sliding around her neck, completely absorbed in the flurry of kisses Carla was delivering against her mouth, responding to each one with enthusiasm.

"Was yesterday afternoon and this morning not enough for you?" The younger woman whispered breathlessly, causing the other brunette to let out a throaty chuckle.

"I'll never be able to get enough of you," She murmured, bringing her hands up to cup Michelle's face, lightly brushing her thumbs across her cheeks.

The younger woman tilted her head slightly, eyes softening when they met the green hues above her, an adoring little smile forming across her lips. Carla felt her stomach flip, that one was _her_ smile, how many times had she missed that in the past? The way the younger woman looked at her caused her chest to flutter; that was the only reassurance she would ever need. She tipped Michelle's chin and held her gaze, before dipping her head once more and touching a tender kiss to her forehead. She allowed her lips to linger there, closing her eyes when she felt the younger woman's arms wrap themselves securely around her waist. It was something she hardly dared believe, but she thought that maybe things were finally okay, now. Whatever happened at the inquest, however the outcome for the factory, it would work out alright. Of course if would hurt like hell if she did lose the place, it was such a huge part of her life, but Michelle was _hom_ e and that was a place she hadn't found in a long time.

"Can I take you for dinner before I have to head off? I don't fancy the Bistro but we could go to Speed Daal? Maybe we'll actually get to eat there this time." The younger brunette broke the silence with her quiet murmur, but not the hold she had on the other woman, her fingertips lightly starting to glide across her back. Carla's lips dropped from her forehead, to the tip of her nose and then finally settled against Michelle's once more, brief but gentle.

"You can take me wherever you like, darlin'."

 **IXIXIXI**

"You trying to show me up or something, 'Chelle? You're making me look bad." Carla teased, dragging her eyes over the other woman's figure as they walked down the street, hand-in-hand. With a meeting to take off to after lunch, Michelle had certainly dressed for the occasion. She was wearing a fitted black skirt, a white blouse with a ruffled front and a smart black blazer, the one button fastened at her waist. Combined with the shiny black court shoes and the top half of her sleek hair pinned back, she oozed the professionalism that Carla lusted after.

"What're you talking about?" The younger brunette laughed, stopping to face the other woman.

"You. Dressed like that. You should come with a health warning. I'm glad it's only a dodgy kidney I had and not a heart."

Michelle couldn't help the pleased little smirk that formed across her lips, her face glowing slightly pink at the compliment.

"Why does that make you look bad?"

"Because people are going to think I've started to let myself go, that I'm punching above my weight here."

" _Behave!"_ Michelle let out a disbelieving howl, eyeing the other woman incredulously. "Are you serious?"

Carla looked across at Michelle, giving a small shrug of her shoulder. As much as the younger woman made out that she was the one who didn't realise how special she was, Carla could help but think maybe Michelle needed a reminder herself from time to time.

"Carla, you do realise that you're easily the most attractive woman on this street, in fact, that I've ever seen, don't you?" When the older woman raised her eyebrows sceptically, Michelle rolled her eyes an cupped her face. "I'd have you framed on my wall if I could, but instead I get to wake up with you every morning. And every time I look across and see you lying there, I sometimes can't believe the insane amount of luck I have."

Without a single care that they were in the middle of the busy street, with people leaving for lunch breaks or returning to work, Carla threw her arms around Michelle and crashed their lips together. She kept her hands either side of her neck, knowing she wouldn't be thanked for raking them through her pristine hair, feeling herself pulled flush against her body as the younger woman wrapped her own arms around her waist. The sound of whistles and cat-calls went completely over their heads, it was only when they heard a familiar shout that they broke apart.

"Oi, you two, there are laws against heavy petting in public areas!" But there was no malice in the call and when they turned around, it was only Jenny, grinning at them as she left the cafe with a wave. They returned the gesture, chuckling to each other.

"You know, there's really nothing wrong with that attire..." Michelle smirked, sliding her arm around Carla's waist as they continued to walk. "You could wear a potato sack and look amazing, but I have to admit I like these better." Without warning, she dipped her hand into back pocket of the tight, dark denim that encased the older woman's figure, causing her to jump.

"'Chelle!" She hissed, glancing quickly around the street but unable to stop a dirty little giggle spilling from her lips. "This is toning it down, is it?"

The younger woman merely shrugged in response and Carla leant into her, almost disappointed when she removed her hand and instead wrapped it around her waist.

"Hey, it's my two favourite people!" Ryan clapped his hands together when they walked through the door, holding his arms aloft to wrap them both in a hug. "I don't care what they say about you, you're nothing like a wicked step-mother."

"Get off, you loon," Michelle laughed, extracting herself from his hold and eyeing him up and down suspiciously. "You been drinking on the job?"

"Of course not!" He laughed, pulling away from Carla and showing the pair over to a table. "I'm just happy."

"That's suspicious." Carla smirked, thanking her nephew when he held the chair out for her, sitting down opposite Michelle. The younger woman was in agreement with her, eyeing her son cautiously as he provided them both with a menu.

"Well, I've got a date later." He shrugged, gesturing towards the board that was situated against the counter. "Right so for specials today-"

"A date? Who with?"

"Bethany."

Carla pressed her lips together, remaining silent.

"You don't want to be getting involved with the Platt's, Ry." Michelle warned him, catching the older brunettes eye. "Nightmare of a mother-in-law that Gail, wasn't she Carla?"

"It's a date, her mum isn't Gail _and_ I haven't asked her to marry me!" He laughed, shaking his head slightly. Though when Michelle placed her hands flat on the table as she hovered over the menu, his eyes widened and he grabbed hold of her hand, mouth falling open in shock. "Speaking of...What's this?"

The ring was still nestled comfortably on her finger, its continuous dazzle catching all of their eyes when it glittered even in the dim light of the restaurant.

"Not an engagement ring before you go shooting your mouth off," Though her skin had heated up at the assumption, she tried to shake off the fluttering in her chest, a difficult feat when the other woman was flashing a radiant smile in her direction. Reaching out, she took hold of Carla's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Carla was feeling generous."

"Yeah, so I heard." Ryan grimaced, flinching away when Michelle reached out to swat his arm at the insinuation. "Hey, next time you're in a giving mood, remember who your favourite nephew is and how much he likes it in Ibiza..." He threw the hint towards Carla, who raised her eyebrow and let out a little chuckle, sending him on his way with their drinks order.

Carla caught the younger woman eyeing her somewhat reproachfully as she finished her second glass of wine. Narrowing her own, she stared her down, as though daring her to say something.

"Carla, be careful."

"Yes, _mum."_

"You're supposed to be watching your intake, though. I'm only saying it because I care."

The older brunette watched Michelle's hand move across the table and settle over the top of her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. Relenting, she flipped her hand over and allowed their fingers to lace together. She did care, she was the only person in the world who'd constantly shown it. Raising herself from her seat slightly, she leant forwards and met the younger woman in the middle, where they closed the short distance between them and shared a soft kiss. The familiar warmth of the younger woman's lips against her own filled her with contentment, even when they broke apart and sat back in their seats. The smile that Michelle returned brought goosebumps to her arms, suddenly half wishing that they'd decided to spend what little of the afternoon they had together somewhere more private. Lost in thought, she didn't realise that the younger woman was now looking past her, her puzzled gaze fixed over her shoulder. Swivelling around, she saw that Kate had entered the restaurant and had cornered Ryan; they were huddled together and talking in hushed tones, both of them leaning over his phone. Almost in sync, they looked up and threw anxious glances over to where the pair were sat. Kate looked at Ryan, as though waiting for him to make a decision. At his shrug, her own shoulders dropped and she stared to trudge over towards their table, dragging the younger woman's son behind her.

"Oh what now? If it's Robert I don't want to know, I'm done-"

"No, it's not. He isn't even in yet. It's something else." Kate bit her lip, exchanging a guilty glance with Ryan, who scratched the back of his head.

"I'm getting a strong sense of deja vu." Carla frowned, swilling the last few dregs of wine in her glass, reluctant to finish the last of it after promising herself she wouldn't have another one after.

"Hey, they say that when you experience deja vu it's because someone is thinking about you while they're-"

"Yes, alright!" Michelle jumped in hastily, her face scrunching in disgust. "We don't need to know."

Taking the liberty of inviting herself to their table, she pulled up a chair and flopped down into it. She gestured obviously at Ryan to do the same, the three women cringing when he dragged a stool across the floor, the mental legs scraping against the hard surface.

"Oh, table for four now is it?" Carla rolled her eyes, sitting back in her own seat and folding her arms across her chest.

Kate suddenly looked mortified, her mouth falling open as she glanced from her sister to her cousin. "Oh... Oh, God, sorry. Are you two on a date? I thought you were just having dinner..."

"It's fine, we are in a sense. What's the big fuss this time?" The older brunette sighed, pushing her hair back and wondering what it'd be like to have a day without any stress. She pondered idly about the possibility of her and Michelle being able to get away somewhere, with room service and a sea-view and no mobile phones for a week.

The younger pair looked sheepish once more.

"Okay well, we play this game, it's really funny actually. We take photos of one another when we're least expecting it, see who can get the most ridiculous one." Kate rambled, clearly stalling as she avoided Carla's intense glare by staring directly at her phone screen. "I took a photo of Ryan and put it on my Friend Connect page..." She trailed off, chewing the skin on her lower lip.

"And this is a disaster because?"

Ryan puffed out his cheeks, taking Kate's phone from her and swivelling the screen around. Both Michelle and Carla frowned and leant over. It was a picture of Ryan, not the most flattering; it looked like the man had just been about to sneeze. Kate had posted in onto her page and they assumed comments were below the photo.

"What are we supposed to be looking at?"

"You and Carla in the background. I'm so sorry I didn't realise."

The older brunette dragged her gaze to the far corner of the photo, having only just realised that they did indeed feature in it. Wrapped in a tight embrace and firmly attached at the mouth. She was still unsure of the reason for such a huge drama until Kate scrolled down and the latest comment, which had been posted only fifteen minutes previous. _Helen Connor._

"Oh, no."

" _Kate!"_ Michelle hissed, clapping her hand to her forehead as she let out a groan of misery; of course she knew her parents would have to find out at some point, but she hadn't really thought about how or when she was going to broach the subject. Plastering it all over social media certainly wasn't what she'd had in mind.

"I know, I'm sorry," The youngest Connor woman wailed once more; she looked it too, she hadn't meant any harm.

Dragging her chair around so that she was now seated next to Michelle, Carla slid an arm around her waist and gave her a reassuring squeeze, thinking along the same lines as her.

"'Chelle, it might not be as bad as we think-"

"' _Is that my Michelle? What on Earth is she doing with Carla? Tell her to phone me at once.'"_ Michelle read out, fixing the other brunette with a dubious stare, one of her eyebrows raised. "Yeah, that sounds dead promising." Digging around under the table for her bag, she extracted her own phone, her heart sinking into the pit of dread that was her stomach. Her mother had tried to contact her seven times in the last five minutes alone.

"She'll be having kittens." She stressed, leaning into Carla with a pitiful sigh.

"Barry'll be talking her down, don't work yourself up."

Michelle suddenly slammed her phone down in fright, it was ringing again only on this occasion, it was a request for a video chat.

"Maybe just get it over with?" Carla suggested, brushing her hand comfortingly over the younger woman's.

"We'll back you up, won't we?" Ryan nodded determinedly at Kate's suggestion. With a slightly shaking hand, Michelle nervously propped her phone up against the wine bottle and pressed the green answer button, her grip on Carla's hand tightening as the slightly pixelated face of her mother came into view.

" _Michelle, I've been calling you for ages! Why haven't you been answering? What's going on? I saw the most bizarre photo- Oh, hello, Carla."_

Barely having time to say hello herself, Michelle had flinched as her mother began to rant, the thick Irish accent leaking harshly through the speakers before she realised she wasn't just talking at her daughter. The image on the screen had cleared as the connection had strengthened and Helen was staring up at them in disapproval, her voice sounding strained when she'd acknowledged Carla.

"Hi, Helen." The older brunette's tone was just as sharp as hers had been; she had the least sensible urge to laugh as their earlier topic of conversation about nightmare mother-in-law's entered her head.

"Hi Aunty Helen!"

"Alright, Gran?"

Kate's head had popped over Carla's shoulder seconds before Ryan's had appeared over Michelle's, both of them grinning down at the screen. The elderly woman looked taken aback at the impromptu family reunion.

" _Oh- Hello, sweethearts. I didn't realise you were all together."_

"We weren't, Kate and I accidentally crashed these two's date." Ryan chuckled lightheartedly, sliding it into conversation naturally. No one could overlook the way Helen's face dropped at the word 'date'. Her lips pursed, almost disappearing completely, her voice becoming stern.

" _Now come on, enough of this nonsense. Tell me it was your idea of a wind-up. You can't possibly-"_

"Mum, we're not doing this for a joke. I'm with Carla."

" _But that's entirely preposterous!"_ She shrieked, placing her hand over her chest and taking what was probably meant to be a calming breath, but her voice still shook with anger. " _She was married to your brother, it's not right."_

" _Now come on, dear. We agreed to be open about this. Give them a chance to explain."_ A much deeper voice came from within the room and then suddenly Michelle's father was on screen, a huge grin on his face as he greeted his family with enthusiasm. " _Ah, it's great to see you all!"_

They exchanged much friendlier pleasantries with Barry, Michelle actually felt as though she missed him and was being missed in return.

"Look, I'm not brushing it off or saying it meant nothing when I was married to Paul, but Michelle also means something to me. I didn't chose-"

" _It'll all end in tears where you're concerned and they'll be daughter's, so they will. I won't have your midlife crisis-"_

"Mum!"

"Gran, they're really good together! Carla has been looking after mum loads." Ryan tried to plead their case, nudging Kate who nodded earnestly, also jumping into the conversation.

"And they honestly do work together. They care about each other so much."

"Helen," Carla began, wanting to get her piece across before she could begin what was sure to be another judgemental rant. "I know you've got your reasons for doubting me and we don't see enough of each other for me to have earned your trust-" She ignored the scoff that came from the screen, but was reassured by Barry's encouraging smile; it seemed he was willing to listen. "But I would never dream of hurting Michelle. She's helped me through so much, she's my best friend and I just want to look after her. I know you probably think I don't deserve her, I mean god I have trouble convincing myself that half the time." She ignored the frown Michelle shot in her direction, able to feel her gaze burning into the side of her cheek, given the chance she knew the younger woman would be tripping over herself to insist that she wasn't undeserving of their relationship. "She means the world to me. I wake up everyday feeling the happiest I've been since the day she decided to befriend me at all, and I know I'm so lucky that I've got her by my side. I'll promise to you what I've promised to her; that I'll never take a moment being with her for granted and I _will_ support her until my dying breath." Carla felt her cheeks heat up slightly, she hadn't anticipated that she'd be making such a heartfelt speech so publicly, especially with her nephew and younger sister listening in too. Kate's eyes were wide, a sickeningly soft expression on her face as she pouted her lips, resting her head against her shoulder with a small sniff that Carla felt positive she was doing for nothing other than effect. But Michelle was gazing at her in awe, unable to believe that the other woman had just spoken out like that in front of her parents. It was easier when they were talking privately, when Carla could be truly open without being scared of seeming vulnerable, but she'd just opened her chest and put her heart on the line for her harshest critic to judge. Michelle touched her forehead against the side of the older woman's for a moment, turning back to the screen just in time to see her dad wiping underneath his eye and her mother, for probably the first time in her life, rendered completely speechless.

Michelle sat up, sliding her arm around the older brunette's waist and staring down at the screen defiantly. She felt stronger, Carla had made her feel brave.

"I love Carla." It was such a simple yet sincere statement, wide hazel eyes fixated on the screen as she waited for a response from either of her parents, who had yet to comment.

" _All I want for you, Michelle, is to be happy. And if that's what Carla makes you, then it's good enough for me."_ It was Barry who'd broken the silence, causing the entire group to beam down at Michelle's phone; evidently Kate and Ryan's guilt had been somewhat assuaged by his positive reaction.

" _I'm glad you're happy, too. Of course I am."_ It wasn't much and she still wore an expression of discomfort as she eye'd up the new couple, but it was probably the best they were going to get. Plus, with the minutes ticking on, Michelle knew she was severely pushing it for time and was eager to end the conversation amicably with her parents.

"Oh, they're so cute!" Ryan mocked, fanning his face in a wildly over-dramatic gesture. It seemed to have broken the tension that had settled, even Helen had let out a laugh at her grandson's antics.

The call ended with Barry vaguely mentioning that perhaps a visit was in order; Helen admitting too that it would be nice to see the entire family again. It had been somewhat of a success, she supposed. Her mother wasn't exactly thrilled but at least Barry had warmed to the idea of them being together. Although it probably wasn't the last they'd hear about it, Helen was bound to want to speak to them again once she'd got over the shock.

"I'm sorry, darlin', I know this didn't exactly go to plan. We've got tonight though, haven't we?" Michelle smiled, lightly tipping the older brunettes chin. After Ryan had been shouted back to work and both women had reassured him and Kate that they'd probably done them a favour in forcing them to confront Helen and Barry, there hadn't been time for their meal at all and Michelle was fretting for Carla's sake. The last thing she wanted was for the other woman to slip back into the habit of liquid lunches. "I'll take you out properly this evening, somewhere fancy, the sort of place that doesn't allow ketchup."

Carla laughed, sliding her arms around the younger woman and leaning into her for a moment, inhaling the scent of her perfume. She was happy that Michelle was having so much success, it was something she deserved even if at times she ran herself into the ground. Casting her mind back, she remembered how the roles were reversed, when Michelle used to nag at her to take a break. How had she not picked up on that before? Michelle had always been so concerned about her wellbeing. The littlest things had gone right over her head. Her hands came up to hold the younger brunettes face and she studied her for a moment, scanning her features, making sure she didn't look worn or tired.

"I've got to go, baby." Michelle reminded her, as much as she would have much rather stayed in the other woman's hold.

"I know, I know," Carla murmured, leaning in for a lingering kiss. "I really love you, you do know that don't you?"

She felt the heat against her palms as a pink blush spread over her cheeks, her eyes sparkling; she looked happy, which gave Carla a thrill of satisfaction.

"Of course I do, I always feel it when I'm with you." Michelle breathed, her forehead coming to rest against the other brunette's. "I love you, too. More than anything. I'll get to this meeting and I'll see you in a few hours okay?"

Carla watched her climb into the taxi she'd pre-booked earlier, having not wanted to drive due to the wine she'd consumed. The car had just rounded the corner and disappeared when she felt her own phone vibrate. She cursed to herself, wondering if there was something to be said for Roy's affliction against modern technology. It was a message from her own father.

' _I need to see you now, it's an emergency."_

 **IXIXIXI**

She had a niece. Carla had a niece. Aidan had a daughter and he'd never known. He never would. Blinking back tears, the brunette woman was marching towards Victoria Court, heels clicking ominously against the pavement. She'd called Michelle, sent her a message telling her to come home, but she was probably wrapped up with a client somewhere and Carla knew it might be a while before she could even get around to checking her phone.

Completely dazed by the information she'd just found out and wondering how on Earth she was going to begin explaining it when Michelle did arrive, Carla didn't hear the door she was walking by open until she heard her name, accompanied by a hand on her shoulder.

"What the hell do you think you're playing at?" She hissed, stumbling slightly as she found herself face to face with a furious looking Robert. "Don't you dare grab me like that again!"

"I could ask you the same question! I need a word. Please?" His expression softened slightly and he looked almost desperate.

Confused but curious as to what he wanted, Carla stepped into the apartment, feeling somewhat uncomfortable and wondering whether she regretted doing so when he closed the door behind her. She was still absolutely fuming at his crass way of trying to get her attention.

"Well then you just ask me, you don't grab me!"

But he didn't attempt to make an apology, he wasn't even listening to her.

"I saw it, I saw the ring on her hand. She's only just taken mine off!"

Carla looked taken aback for a second, before realising what he meant and letting out a small sigh. She might have been angry with him, but she couldn't deny that it must have hurt him to see that.

"You've got it all wrong, we're not engaged." Her first attempt in calming him was to try and placate him, for now she was looking at him properly, he didn't seem completely sober. He let out a disbelieving little scoff, crossing his arms over his chest.

"How can you stand there and blatantly lie to my face?"

The brunette woman gasped incredulously, anger swirling in her gut.

"Well if you've already made up your mind, what's the point in me saying anything? I'm leaving." Swiftly, she span on her heels and made to grab the door, but Robert had got there first, his broad frame blocking her only escape route.

"Do you know how it feels to have people mocking you behind your back because your fiancée has run off with another woman? You've turned me into a laughing stock!" He spat, rounding on the brunette woman who raised her eyebrows in disbelief and folded her arms across her chest. She resisted the urge to quip that he'd turned himself into a spectacle with his disgusting behaviour. The sudden change in his demeanour caused snakes of worry to squirm in the pit of her stomach; why had she stepped into his flat?

"You'd broken up before Michelle and I got together."

"Barely! We could have fixed it if you hadn't come swooping in like you did. Leave her alone Carla. Let me have another chance." Moving forward, he took hold of Carla in desperation, searching her eyes with his own almost pleadingly.

"Are you deluded?" Of course he was, he'd taken something far worse than what Michelle had split up with him for and all Carla knew was that she needed to get out of the flat. "She doesn't want to."

"Because you won't give her any space!"

"She kissed me first!" Carla was outraged, after everything he still had the nerve to not only shout in her face but manhandle her while he was doing so. The man was well on his way towards a smack if he thought that was acceptable behaviour.

"You're _LYING_!" His grip on her upper arms tightened and she felt her body jolt as he quite literally shook her in anger. Some of the anger left her body and was replaced with fear, she hadn't realised quite how tanked up Robert was, and whatever he had taken had clearly lowered is inhibitions, the evidence being the bruising grip he had on her.

"I'm not. Get your hands off me." She sounded braver than she felt, her teeth gritted together in pain as she tried desperately not to think about what he could be capable of. He was so much stronger than her, she hadn't a chance in hell if he decided to- no. No he wouldn't. Not that.

"What is it? Why have you got such a hold over her?" He questioned, frowning in confusion as he tried to work out the answer. "Is it something to do with her family? You were with her brothers, until they both snuffed it. God you're a curse." He let out a menacing laugh and Carla's she's darkened in fury, an intense burning hatred washing over her shoulders. "Are they set to inherit something big? Is that why you're so keen to stay in with them? I suppose there's even more at stake now it doesn't have to be split between three-"

He never got a chance to finish, Carla had let out a scream of anger and painfully wrenched one of her arms from his hold, swinging it back and delivering a stinging slap clean across his face. She'd used so much force that he actually looked dazed for a moment, staggering back slightly. Seizing the opportunity, the brunette woman moved around him and attempted to get to the door. She wasn't quite quick enough.

Gripping hold of her wrist, Robert dragged her back towards him and away from the door completely. She struggled wildly, trying her best to twist away from him but his grip was relentless. Combined the awkward angle he was holding her arm at and the force in which she was desperately trying to pull back, Carla felt a sickening crack just as pain exploded from her wrist. Robert dropped her hand and and she instantly cradled it against her chest, her eyes screwed up as she placed her other hand just below her elbow, supporting her damaged arm.

"You're pathetic!" She screamed, tears springing to her eyes, her heart hammering against her chest so hard she could feel the blood pulsing in her ears. He advanced on her once more, beads of sweat running down the sides of his face, looking crazed as he towered over her, spit gathered in the corners of his mouth, breathing through gritted teeth. "She'll never want you back after this, you know that don't you?" Carla was edging back, there was a heavy looking figurine decorating the mantle above the fireplace and suddenly taking a leaf out of Tracy Barlow's book didn't seem like such a bad idea. Not when pain was radiating from her fingertips to her elbow, her wrist pulsing as it began to swell alarmingly in her grasp.

"If you leave her alone, I'll leave you alone."

The manic laugh which spilled from Carla's lips infuriated him more. In a blind rage, he reached out and wrapped his hand around the goading woman's throat, which cut her laughter short and caused his own dark cackle when a split second of terror flashed in her eyes.

"Leave her alone?" The brunette woman gasped, determined not to give him the satisfaction of hearing her beg him to let go. Physically, he overpowered her, but she wasn't going down without giving him a few lashes of her razor tongue. While part of her screamed to play his game, to get out there safely, the other part knew his pride was already damaged, that she could probably hurt him so much more than he dared to hurt her, she could talk him down. Letting out as much of a scoff as she could muster, her eyes started to water at the pressure of his hand pressed against her windpipe. "Do you know what? I _am_ going to _marry_ her, Robert." The words left her lips so certainly that she knew she fully believed it herself; there was no doubt in her mind that she wouldn't spend the rest of her life with Michelle Connor. "She'll walk down that aisle to me and I'll never let her go."

What limited air she had was immediately sucked from her lungs when she felt a hard first collide with her ribs; if he hadn't had such a tight hold around her neck she knew she'd have fallen to the floor, her knees buckling at the force of the blow. Stars danced behind her eyes, white flashes of agony as she pulled every last ounce of strength she had into raising her shaking knee and digging him between the legs. This time it was Robert's shout of pain that filled the room; he used the entirety of his brute strength to throw the woman aside before bending double, groaning in agony, his jaw clenched.

It took him a few moments of heavy gasping to recover enough to realise that Carla hadn't made an attempt to escape or to launch another attack on him; verbal or otherwise. Pulling himself up onto his feet, still hissing at the twinge of discomfort that resided in his groin, he peered down at the fireplace and paled. She wasn't moving. Splayed out across the carpet like a doll tossed aside by a child, Carla lay unconscious. Dark hair fanned out across marble that encased the bottom half of the fireplace, her wrist crooked, bent grotesquely out of shape where her forearm dipped downwards. Deep red blossomed from underneath her hair and spread across the floor, seeping ominously into the cream fibres. White hot panic washed over his frame. He didn't dare move closer to her, terrified to check whether the woman was breathing.

 **IXIXIXI**

"Michelle! Where have you been?"

The brunette woman had barely stepped out of the taxi before her name was shouted out gruffly. Turning to see Johnny marching purposefully towards her, she knew it was something serious. A quick glance at her phone showed five missed calls from Carla and a message reading nothing but ' _meet me at home NOW'._ Suddenly feeling sick, she carelessly thrust a note from her purse at a disgruntled Tim through the drivers window.

"What's happened?" She was almost too afraid to ask.

"Have you spoken to Carla, yet?"

"No I'm just on my way, I've only just seen her messages."

"Right, well," He paused for a moment, slightly breathless as he came to a halt in front of her. "I'll save you a trip because I've decided what I'm going to do."

At the confused look on Michelle's face, he held up his hand, catching his breath properly before bracing himself to deliver the truth to her.

"It's Suzie, she's Aidan's. That's what Carla wanted to tell you."

The younger woman's brow furrowed, her mouth falling open in shock. She blinked, trying to process the information, her brain whirring as she tried to figure out how it could be possible.

"What?"

"She's Aidan and Eva's daughter; that warped mare gave her to Toyah!"

"Are you sure-?"

"Does it sound like I'm making it up? Peter told me and Carla himself!"

Johnny looked livid, Michelle reached out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. She was still confused, but her Uncle seemed so sure of his words and it made sense considering the messages that Carla had sent to her.

"Does Kate know?"

"I'm on my way over to tell her, now." Johnny nodded in the direction of the Bistro as he spoke, watching Michelle press her phone to her ear.

"I'll try Carla, tell her I know and she can meet us there."

She was met with the older woman's voicemail, which was frustrating seeing as it wasn't long ago that Carla had desperately tried to get hold of her. Linking her arm through Johnny's, she walked with him towards the Bistro, attempting to call his oldest daughter twice more, before giving up and leaving her a voicemail.

"She was on her way to the flat, she said she was going to meet you there." Johnny frowned, holding the door open for her once they'd arrived at the Bistro. The restaurant was quiet, barely three tables occupied and they clapped eyes on Kate straight away; the young brunette looked thoroughly bored, her elbow on the bar as she rested her chin in her hand, gazing lazily around at the few customers they had.

"Yeah she messaged me asking me to go home, but she's not picking up now."

"Who isn't?" Kate had caught the last of their conversation, perking up instantly at the sight of her family. "Don't worry, he's not here." She adder, after Michelle had glanced wearily over Kate's shoulder, eyes fixed on the kitchen door. "He hasn't been in all day, we had to call for emergency cover."

"Have you seen Carla?"

Shaking her head, the younger woman occupied herself for a moment by bringing a beer up for Johnny and pouring a glass of wine for Michelle, who thanked her Uncle when he paid for the drinks.

"Should I have?"

"She's just had some news, she'll have taken herself off for a walk or something."

Michelle wasn't convinced, it was more likely she was musing in the flat alone, nursing her own glass of red. Or maybe she'd got waylaid chatting to Ali, it was roughly around the time he'd be waking up to get ready for his night shift.

"What news?" Kate looked from her dad to her cousin, catching the way they exchanged uneasy glances. "Tell me what's going on!"

The youngest Connor woman took the revelation about as well as predicted. By the time Johnny had finished explaining what he'd found out from Peter earlier that day, she was untying her apron and throwing it carelessly over her shoulder.

"I want to see her."

"Kate, just wait a sec-"

"She's my niece! Have you seen her?" She demanded of the other two. Michelle shook her head but Johnny gave a small nod. The two women rounded on him in shock.

"You never said!"

"After Carla left to tell you, I asked Eva if I could meet her. She looks just like him." He spoke the last part so quietly that it took Michelle a moment to work out what he had sent. His eyes had grown glassy and Kate stepped forward to give him a hug, which he accepted gratefully.

"I want to see her. Please can we go over?"

"Wait, just a second," Michelle directed her comment at Johnny, eyeing him up with suspicion. "What did you mean when you said you knew what you were going to do?"

The older man looked slightly sheepish, but squared his shoulders determinedly, his jaw set in defiance as he spoke. "I'm going for custody."

Silence descended on the three as the two women tried to work out whether he was serious or not.

"You can't just-"

"I can and I will."

"But what about Jenny? What about Eva? Are you sure you've thought this through? Johnny you're in shock." Michelle glanced at her phone, frantic for Carla to have acknowledged her; she was probably the only one who'd be able to have a rational conversation with Johnny about his insane plan. There was nothing, not even a text to let them know she was on her way.

"Look, okay-" She began, running a hand through her hair stressfully, turning to Kate in hopes that she would back her up. "Why don't we go back across the the pub, Kate can see Suzie and then we can wait for Carla. We'll have a proper talk."

A wave of relief washed over her when they seemed to be in agreement. Together, they left the Bistro and began to make their way once more to the Rovers. Though she'd only just checked her phone, she couldn't help glancing at the screen again. On finding nothing from Carla she pressed her phone to her ear once more, attempting to call her.

"Ali!" Her eyes had snapped to the Doctor who was walking across the street towards the bus stop, fiddling with the tie around his neck and fully suited for a shift at the hospital.

"Are you okay?" Noticing the worry in her face, he began to make his way to the three, stopping in front of his mother and bringing his arms up to rest on hers.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She gave him a reassuring smile. "Was Carla at the flat?"

"She wasn't when I left, but that was a good ten minutes ago. Why?"

"I just can't get hold of her, I'm sure she'll turn up."

"Missing her already, are you?" Ali teased, dipping his head to deliver a swift kiss to her cheek. "I've got to head off, don't worry I'm sure she'll be glued to your side again soon!" She saw him off with a wave, before hurrying to catch up with Kate and Johnny, hoping that her son was right and that Carla would pitch up soon.

 **IXIXIXI**

"Right, Carla, I'm getting worried now. As soon as you get these message please call me back. I know about Suzie, so please come home and we can talk." Hanging up the phone, Michelle went back to pacing the flat. The sky had grown darker as the hours trudged by and she hadn't been able to get hold of the other woman. Still reeling from the shock of Suzie, Kate and Johnny hadn't given much thought to her whereabouts, but after Michelle had called them once more revealing that she still hadn't returned home, they'd agreed to come over. Her heart leapt to her mouth when the flat door opened, her face falling when Ryan stepped through. Of course it was, she mentally cursed her own stupidity; he'd messaged her not ten minutes before and told her he was on his way.

"Is she still not home?"

At the tearful shake of her head, Ryan ambled over to his mother and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a comforting squeeze.

"When did you last hear from her?"

"She sent me a text asking me to come home, but that was hours ago. It's dark now, she wouldn't have us worrying like this- she-"

"Hey, come on, don't get upset." He sighed, rubbing a reassuring hand over her back. The brunette woman's voice had crack, tears spilling over her cheeks, unable to finish the sentence. Panic was setting deep into her chest, prickling over her shoulders.

"What if something's happened?" Even uttering the words out loud had her crippled with fear. There were horrible people out there, people who did sick things and every single scenario that was running through her mind caused a wave of nausea; Carla had to be okay.

"Michelle?"

Ryan had left the door hinged, Johnny and Kate had pushed it opened and stepped through. It told her nothing good that worry was now plastered across the pairs faces, although it provided her with a minuscule amount of relief that they seemed to be taking her seriously.

"Right, has no one heard from Carla since she messaged Michelle?" Johnny asked, glancing around the group who shook their heads. He brushed a hand over his face, evidently thinking.

"Maybe it's time we phoned the police? Or maybe we could check the hospital..." Kate suggested, anxiously chewing her lip.

"Look, let's not waste time traipsing around Weatherfield General. Ryan, phone Ali and ask him to check the hospital and keep an eye out. Michelle, drive into town and just check the bars on the off chance. I'll stay here in case she comes back. Kate, hang about around the Rover's, ask around to see if anyone's seen her." Johnny looked around at them all, silently checking that he'd covered all bases. After nodding in agreement at his plan, the group began to move in preparation for their tasks, Michelle grabbed the car keys and thrust her phone into her pocket.

"As soon as anyone hears anything, call me straight away, alright? If I find her, I'll let Johnny know first."

"Kate, hang on!" Ryan called across to his cousin who had been about to walk out after Michelle. He'd already got his phone pressed to his ear, waiting for Ali to pick up. "This'll only take me a minute, I'll come to the pub with you, I can keep running across to Speed Daal and checking."

"Jenny's with Rita, she's going to keep an eye out in the shop." Johnny informed them just after his phone had vibrated. It wasn't likely that Carla would be able to slip by any of them unnoticed at this point, so with a hopeful nod, they all took off to their assigned watch post.

"It's like Scooby-Doo, this, isn't it? Let's all split up and look for clues. I used to love that show. What?"

Ryan and Kate were walking down the corridor, having given up waiting for the lifts and decided to take the stairs instead. At her comment, Michelle's son had shot her a look of disbelief. He didn't feel as though it was a time to joke. Though his seriousness had worried the young brunette and she was trying to keep things light, trying to bite back the anxiety that had gathered in the pit of her stomach.

"Come on, she'll be okay, won't she? Ali just told us she wasn't in hospital." Her voice was slightly too high as she faked an air of positivity. Ryan had got off the phone to the Doctor not seconds before; he'd told him Carla was missing and that he was to call Michelle the second he heard any news, if he heard any at all. Kate pulled out her own phone and found Carla's number, trying her once more even though she was almost certain there'd be no answer. That didn't stop the swirl of hope in her chest as it began to ring. "I mean-" She continued with the phone pressed against her ear, trying to cover the nervous silence by keeping the conversation going. "If she was hurt, someone would have found her, we'd know by now. Her phone is probably on silent and I'm sure she's not meaning to make us worry. There's going to be a reasonable-"

"Kate, shush!" Ryan hissed, cutting across her rambling and flinging his arm out to stop her walking any further, listening intently. Was that a faint ringing? He recognised the tone, it had been the same one that had disturbed his sleep for half an hour when Carla had first started to stay over and she'd left her phone in the living room. Kate had looked confused and a little put out at Ryan's abruptness and had turned to berate her cousin, but then she'd heard it too and her eyes widened. Quickly ending the call, the two young Connor's pushed themselves up against the door they were passing, pressing their ears against the wood. Neither dared to speak a word as Ryan took the mobile from Kate's shaking hand and called Carla's number once more. There was no mistaking the faint ringtone that sounded from behind the solid door, which stopped when Ryan ended the call.

"What's her phone doing in Robert's flat?"

"You said he hadn't been in all day."

Kate shook her head in disbelief, looking stricken.

"No, no he wouldn't have done anything. Ali was getting him treatment, surely he-"

She was cut off by the thud of Ryan's fist banging against the door, jumping back slightly as she shouted through the solid wood.

"Robert! Open this door or I'm going to break it down."

"Ry-"

"I'm not taking chances. Her phone is in there so who's to say she isn't too?"

Nodding in agreement, Kate took a step back, allowing Ryan the space he needed as he backed up, preparing himself to kick the door down.

"Wait..." Reaching out, Kate grasped hold of the door handle and turned it. "It was never locked."

"Let me go first." Cautiously, he pushed the door open. The apartment was silent, nothing out of place. On baited breath, they pushed their way into the room, completely on edge as they listened for any noise that might indicate the volatile chef was inside the flat.

Stepping further into the room, he found the kitchen area empty. He could hear Kate breathing behind him and was about to tell her to ring Carla's phone again when he clapped eyes on a sight that made his stomach drop.

"Call an ambulance!"

Almost tripping and falling in his haste to clamour over the back of the sofa, he knelt down beside the unconscious woman as Kate's scream pierced the air. About to take her hand to check for a pulse, he recoiled in horror at the deformed dip of her wrist and decided against moving her. Scrabbling in his pocket for his own mobile, he stabbed his pin into the device and found his mother's number.

"Mum, you need to come back to Robert's flat. We've found her, Kate's calling an ambulance." He garbled down the line, hanging up without even waiting for a response before moving on to inform Johnny.

"Ryan, is she responding to your voice?" Kate asked him, clearly being questioned by the emergency service agent she was currently speaking to. At the shake of his head, her voice grew more panicked and she struggled to keep her composure on the phone.

The sound of frantic footsteps echoed from the corridor outside, louder as they got closer and Michelle's white face appeared in the doorway. When her eyes found her son, the unconscious figure sprawled out beside him, the rest of the colour drained from her cheeks, her eyes widening in horror.

"No...No, no, _no."_ Her words were muffled, her hand covering her mouth as she tripped and stumbled over to where Carla had been found. Falling onto all fours, she hovered above the other woman, attempting to stroke her hair back but crying out in terror when she realised blood was oozing thickly from her head; the amount that had already dried into the carpet stopping her breath.

"Carla," She whispered, her voice cracking as tears began to pour down her face. "It's me, sweetheart, can you her me?"

The older brunette was deathly still, not even the flutter of an eyelash to ignite just a tiny bit of hope in the other woman's chest. Like Ryan, she reached out for her hand in an attempt to feel her pulse, but screamed out on realising the extent of the damage. Clamping both her hands over her mouth, she turned to the side; her stomach heaved and she squeezed her eyes right against the bile that rose to the back of her throat, so sure she was going to throw up. She must have been so scared, in so much pain. The thought of her all alone for so long wedged itself like a knife in her chest, each stab of breath that she struggled for piercing her heart.

"I'm... here, I'm here, baby," she sobbed, dragging her eyes away from the woman's swollen wrist and instead focusing on her face. Trembling fingertips reached out to rest against her cheek, a further cry sounding from her lips at the warmth of her skin. Michelle knew she was still there; she brushed over her face and gently trailed her hand to the side of her neck, faint with relief when she felt it.

"There's a pulse."

"Oh thank God." Michelle hadn't even heard Johnny arrive, but he was hunched over, gripping onto the back of the sofa for support, his knuckles white.

She allowed her hand to linger against the silky warmth of her skin, taking great comfort in the slow, steady throbbing against her fingertips. The pad of her thumb smoothed tender circles against her jawline and she lowered her head with extreme caution, taking extra care not to nudge or jolt her in any way. Her lips made contact with a defined cheekbone and she lingered there, gulping back sobs so that she could whisper to her.

"You're going to be okay, I promise. I'm not leaving you. I love you, do you hear me? I love you, Carla."

Her body was in shock. Although her eyes were fixed on the other woman, her gaze was hazy and unfocused. No one had dared to argue with Michelle when she'd volunteered to ride in the back of the ambulance with Carla- not that any of them wanted to protest, promising that they'd follow her on to the hospital. She could hear the paramedics talking but she had no idea what they were saying, as though someone had plugged her ears with cotton. It wasn't until one of them crouched in front of her that she realised it was her they were talking to.

"Michelle? How old is Carla?"

"Forty-three." The words sounded almost robotic as they left her lips automatically, her bleary gaze never shifting from where Carla was being injected and fussed around. One side of her face was streaked with blood, it was drying, caked onto her skin, she looked so weak and ill, strapped down onto the bed and secured in a garish orange neck brace. Michelle wanted to touch her, clean her face, brush a hand through her hair and promise her that it was going to be okay. But she couldn't promise that and Carla had been right all along; she couldn't promise her a future. Tears slid down her cheeks and she let out a quiet sob, dropping her head into her hands as one of the paramedics clapped a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Why isn't she waking up?" Michelle whispered, reaching a shaking hand out to place over the raised bump of the other woman's knee through the blanket that was wrapped around her still frame.

"We can't say for sure until we've run tests. Does she have any underlying conditions we should know about? Is there any medication she takes?"

The brunette woman's head snapped up and she gave a firm nod, her fingertips brushing over the blanket as she spoke.

"Yeah, she takes immunosuppressants." Popping open Carla's bag which the crew had placed beside her, she rummaged through the contents to find the medical information card she'd persuaded the other woman to carry around with her. She hadn't ever anticipated that this would be the situation in which they would need it. With some difficulty, owing to the fact her hand was shaking so badly, she managed to pass it across to the paramedic. "She had a kidney transplant."

' _She's survived that, she can get through this'_ Michelle told herself over and over, trying to blot out the bleating siren as the vehicle lurched through the streets. Her face neared grey; the jolting of the ambulance combined with the distress from the uncertainty of Carla's current condition was causing the bile to rise to her throat once more.

"Your friend's in good hands." Having noticed that the young woman looked on the verge of collapse, the friendly paramedic had taken a seat beside Michelle while her colleague continued to treat Carla, attempting to bring her some comfort.

"She's not my friend," Michelle mumbled, closing her eyes as she tried to fight the nausea.

"Sister?"

"No..." Although she had absolutely no objections to anyone knowing the extent of her and Carla's relationship, she couldn't think of a word good enough to describe exactly what the other woman was to her, how much she meant. "She's my partner." It was what she had been, she supposed, someone she'd shared her entire life with, who'd supported her through everything. It still didn't sound enough. She wanted to say something more, about how amazing she was, how much she loved her, just how special the woman whose life was in their hands was and how she needed them to be gentle with her, to make her better.

"How long have you been together?"

Michelle knew they were only playing a round of twenty questions so as to provide her with a distraction, as if she could just forget that the person she loved most in the world was hurt and wouldn't wake up, no matter how many times she silently begged her to.

"Just over a month, but she's been my best friend since we were both kids." She was unsure of why she was delving so deep into it, maybe part of her thought if they knew how important she was, then they'd try harder. It was stupid, they'd do their job regardless and she knew that.

Her head felt foggy once more, she barely remembered being helped from the back of the ambulance and into the blinding light of the hospital. All she could see was white and then Carla was being whisked away from her, they were taking her away and a torturous voice in Michelle's head suggested that it could be the last time she'd ever see her.

"No, wait! I need to stay with her. Don't take her away!" She called out, even tried to follow, but she was held back by a nurse, two when she struggled in her grip. "Please," Michelle begged, tears sliding down her cheeks, she didn't even have the strength to try and break free of their hold. "Please, I need to be with her. I don't want her to be al-"

"Mum!" It was Ali, hurrying down the corridor, his face a mixture of bewilderment and worry. "I thought- was that Carla I saw? What's happened?"

But Michelle couldn't answer, when she opened her mouth all that escaped was a pained cry. Her body went limp and she collapsed into his awaiting arms, her fingers wrapping tightly around the material of his shirt as she clung onto him. All he knew was that it must have been bad, Michelle seemed to be struggling for breath; it was harsh and ragged between the heart wrenching sobs that tore from her throat.

"It's okay, it's okay," He spoke to her slowly, calmly, stepping back a fraction so that he could take her face in his hands, his hold secure. "Take a deep breath, tell me what happened and I promise I'll go and help her."

"Robert-" Michelle choked, the word tasting bitter in her mouth as she took in desperate gulps of air. "She won't wake up. I'm scared, I'm so scared-" It seemed that was all she could manage. Ali wrapped his distraught mother back up in a firm embrace, allowing her to cry freely into his shoulder. It was one of the worst parts of the job, watching people at their most distressed, hearing them plead and pray for the safety of their loved ones, but it was something he thought he was growing used to. Until that moment.

"I'll find out what's happening, as soon as someone else arrives to sit with you. I'm not leaving you on your own, okay?" He promised, stepping back once more and taking hold of her hands, giving them an encouraging squeeze. Michelle looked up at him, her pale face glazed with tears, grey mascara tracks streaked down her cheeks.

"She's on her own."

"Carla's being looked after, you know that. So I'm going to look after you."

A familiar voice caught their attention.

"It's my sister, she's been brought in. I don't know- Michelle!"

Kate had rushed ahead of both Ryan and Johnny, who were only just walking through the doors, and bounded up to reception, before spotting the other woman with the Doctor.

"Ali, what's happening?" Johnny demanded, his face almost as pale as Michelle's as he caught up with Kate. Letting his mother go, he straightened himself up and spoke to the group.

"I know even less than you, but I'm going to try and find out, alright?"

Ryan slid his arm around Michelle's shoulders and nodded gratefully at the Doctor. Although there was still a hint of animosity between them, and maybe they were just the type who'd always butt heads, but in that moment he was appreciative of the fact that Ali would do whatever he could to help their family.

Michelle allowed herself to be lead over to a seat, though sitting still seemed to make her feel worse. Her knee jittered up and down, causing her whole body to shake until Kate placed a hand on her leg.

"She'll be okay." Kate nodded firmly, trying to reassure herself as much as anyone else. They were silent after that, Michelle knew they were all thinking the same thing, wondering how they'd possibly cope if anything happened to Carla so soon after they'd lost Aidan. Johnny had left his seat and had taken to pacing the room, every so often he'd check the clock with a sigh of annoyance. Time dragged by tortuously slow, each minute causing Michelle's chest to tighten further. Her teeth were clamped together, behind her closed mouth, nails digging into her palm as she sat rigid, hands balled into fists.

When Ali finally reappeared, the group jumped to their feet. Bracing himself, he took deliberate towards them; he'd asked to be the one to deliver the news, although he wasn't sure how he was going to. Ryan had reached down to take Michelle's hand, Kate already bundled into her fathers chest, having earlier succumbed to tears herself.

"Carla's really ill," He began, scanning his eyes over his family, trying to convey how sorry he was to each of them. "Her wrist is broken, but we've patched that up and she's got a fractured rib." Michelle felt sick to her stomach, but from his somber expression it didn't seem like that was the worst of the news. Fear burned in the back of her throat, her vision blurring as tears sprang to her eyes once more, spilling down her cheeks.

"The CT scans we did," Ali continued, looking every bit as worried as the four pairs of desperate eyes that bore into his own. "It showed a swelling on the brain. Now we don't know how long she's been left like that, it could rupture at any point. She's being prepared for emergency surgery."

Johnny threw his hands up over his face, shaking his head as a whimper sounded from Kate's mouth. Michelle stared blankly at her son, her ears ringing. She was alive. No matter what Ali had just said, Carla was alive.

"Is she going to be okay?"

Ali's expression softened, his eyes shining with sympathy, but he didn't say 'yes'. The brunette woman's eyes quickly grew glassy once more, her knees suddenly weakening so that Ryan had to grip her tightly to prevent her from sinking to the floor.

"It's all going to depend on if we can stop the swelling, before it ruptures. We're going to try everything we can."

"And if you can't?"

"There are still options, but it gets riskier."

The room lurched, Michelle's heart squeezing painfully in her chest. How had she gone from waking up that morning with the other woman curled around her, safe and happy, to being told that her life was now on the line? It didn't make sense, she wanted to scream, to wake up and find out that it was just some terrible nightmare because there was no way she was on the verge of losing her. Life couldn't be that cruel to her.

"Could she die?"

Once again, the Doctor looked pained, his eyes closing for a moment as he tried to process how best to answer the blunt question. His silence was too much for her.

"Ali, just tell me!" Michelle cried, searching his eyes for the truth he seemed reluctant to tell. Her tone dropped, she spoke softly this time, her voice trembling. "Tell me the truth...Tell me what it means."

"It means the next twenty four hours are critical."

 **A/n: Sorry, not sorry, for the slight cliffhanger. I hope this was okay. I had difficulty describing the injuries because, fun fact, I nearly fainted when looking at photos on google images! I'm no good with visual gore, so I just used my imagination and an NHS website in the end- wimp that I am. And a second fun fact, just to cheer up the misery I might have left you in; when I wrote my first ever fan fic on here (long since deleted) there were only SIX other Coronation Street stories published! We've come so far as a fandom. Wiping a tear from my eye, here. Thank you so much for all the amazing support I've been getting for this one!**


	15. Chapter 15

**tw; descriptions of violence**

It was sickeningly familiar. White walls, the smell of disinfectant and rubber gloves, the rush of urgent footsteps. It had dulled somewhat after they'd been lead into a family room, but it was worse here. Too many memories. How many times had she sat here, desperately waiting for news on a loved one? And it had always been bad news. Her stomach clenched every time anyone in a white coat walked by the door. She just wanted to run away, run away and pretend it wasn't happening. Closing her eyes, she thought back to that morning, remembering how she'd held the brunette woman as she'd slept. What if that had been the final time? What would she do? The thought caused her chest to seize, a wave of panic washing over her and she let out an audible gasp, tears dribbling down her cheeks.

By this time, Jenny had joined the group. She'd fussed around for them at first, bustling in and out with coffees, just for something to do. Michelle hadn't even drank the first one, there were now three full cups beside her, completely stone cold. She was now sat with her arm around Johnny, who was embracing Kate. No one was speaking, they were just staring, staring at nothing with pale, shocked faces. All of them terrified that they were about to lose another member of their shrinking family. Michelle remembered the first time she'd ever had to rush to hospital, the way her stomach dropped when she was informed that her brothers and Dean had been in a serious accident. Carla had clenched her hand so tightly as they waited for news. That was the first time her heart had broken, the first time she'd lost someone she really loved. At the time she wasn't sure she'd ever get through it, but somehow the world kept turning and even though the ache in her heart hadn't eased, it no longer restricted her breath.

Then there was another phone call, another crash and Carla's arms had been the first to wrap around her, she didn't even know then just how important she'd become to her, all she knew was that clinging to her frame made the pain tolerable just for a moment. There'd been too many phone calls, too much loss. She remembered how the feeling of fury had ebbed away the she'd answered her phone at the hotel, when Carla had said her name, so softly, sounding so scared and she knew. A sickening drop in her stomach had rooted her to the spot when she'd broke the news about Aidan and she hadn't been able to bear it. She'd had to say it, she'd had to say 'I love you' because so many had left her before she got the chance. They were stumbling through it together, Carla had helped to heal the gaping hole in her heart. It had torn further each time life had ripped someone away from her, but the other woman had always been by her side.

Michelle stood abruptly, walking over to the wall and placing her hands flat against it. The sheer terror of the possibility of facing life without her was too much. She took deep, shuddering breaths, each one a struggle, as though invisible hands had wrapped around her neck. Then came the feel of very real hands, two of them wrapping around her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"It'll be okay, they'll help her," Ryan whispered, over the sound of the sniffs and gasps of where the rest of her family sat, trying to keep their own breakdowns at bay. Michelle turned around to face him, her eyes bloodshot, mascara cried off completely.

"I can't lose her, I can't be without her."

"You won't have to be, she'll fight to stay for you."

"We we're finally okay, better than okay. She seemed so happy, it's like the world just wont give her a break."

The brunette woman walked back to her seat, resting her head in her hands and trying to keep herself from crying. If she started, she didn't think she'd be able to stop. Not knowing was driving her insane, making her brain ache with a whir of 'what-if's', visions of her future suddenly melting away to nothing, because she wasn't sure how much of one she had if Carla didn't pull through. Sadness settled heavy in her gut and she silently pleaded; to who, she didn't know. Anyone. Whatever invisible force that had made the world cruel enough to let them have a taste of true happiness before throwing them back into the pits of hell. ' _I'll do anything, anything as long as she can stay. Please let her b_ e _okay'_

"What's that?"

Michelle's eyes snapped open. She hadn't even realised they'd been closed while repeating her internal mantra, as though she alone could save Carla as long as she wished it hard enough. Kate had spoken, her voice thick, as though she was suffering from a cold, but she wasn't staring at her cousin, she was staring at her hand. Michelle had been absentmindedly twisting the ring on her finger, brushing her thumb over the jewels, bringing it up to her lips as she'd silently prayed for Carla's safety. The attention of her entire family had been drawn to the band that was nestled on her finger.

"It's a promise ring," She explained hastily, holding her hand out to show the piece of jewellery off in its entirety. "We're not engaged." _Yet._ Her brain had added in silently without her permission and the only thing that scared her was how much it didn't. It was way too soon to even be contemplating a move like that, but when she tried to picture herself with anyone other than Carla, her mind drew a blank and she was certain once more; there was no future for her without the other woman.

The door swung open and they all jumped up; Michelle felt her heart leap to her throat. Ali looked just as exhausted as the rest of them, but he offered them a small smile.

"We had to stop operating, we attempted two surgical procedures but each time we risked rupturing the swelling." He began, looking around at the five pair of anxious eyes in front of him. "And she's at greater risk of infection, with her being on immunosuppressants, so we've placed her in a medically induced coma. It will allow her brain to rest and hopefully, with the help of medication, it will reduce in time. She's not out of the woods but she's stable for now. She's in the best position she could be in. We'll be monitoring her constantly."

It was news. Neither good or bad, from what Michelle could decipher. Kate had been gripping her hand tightly, she could feel the other girl trembling.

"What if it doesn't go down?"

"We're hopeful it will and in most cases, patients do recover fully. Head injuries are complex and results differ, but from the scans it shows that it's quite a small swelling in comparison to what it could have been, she's actually been really lucky."

Johnny scoffed slightly at the phrase, his own eyes watery as she murmured to himself. "Yeah, she's struck gold."

"Can I see her?" Michelle's eyes were wide and desperate.

"Yeah, I'll take you all there now."

With Michelle leading the group, followed closely by Johnny, they walked with Ali down the corridor, the curtains of each room they last were drawn. There was an ill sounding groan from behind one of the cubicles and she had the childish urge to place her hands over her ears, wanting to block the sound out.

"I can't let you all in, maybe no more than three at a time, okay?" Ali advised them as he came to a halt outside of a room where the pristine white blinds were drawn. "I will warn you, it might look shocking at first glance. The tube's there to help her breathe and the other drips are for hydration and medication, it's not as scary as it seems."

It was Ryan who helpfully suggested that himself and Jenny hung back, in order to let the other three see Carla first. Heart thudding erratically in her chest, Michelle allowed Ali to push the door open for her, before stepping shakily inside the room.

After hours of wanting nothing more than to see Carla, she suddenly found herself unable to look. A small sob escaped from her lips and she turned to Johnny, who wrapped his arm around her, his other holding Kate, who looked just as terrified. Absolutely disgusted by her own cowardice, Michelle clenched her teeth and forced herself to turn around and face the heart stopping view before her.

The top portion of the bed was raised and in the middle, looking frighteningly tiny, Carla was laid out. It was a cruel illusion, the brunette woman look almost peaceful, like she was sleeping, but a bulky tube extended from between her lips and the room was playing a disturbing melody of ominous bleeping from the machines surrounding the bed. Michelle brought her hands up to cover her face, scrunching her eyes against the sound that had always brought her the worst moments of her life.

"I can't, I can't see her like this." She let out a sudden cry, clinging onto Kate who had come over to wrap her in a hug. "She looks so fragile..."

"She's always been stronger than she looks." Johnny assured her, looking physically pained at the sight of his eldest daughter connected to an array of wires. Her face was pale, the blood that had earlier been caked on her face now cleansed away.

Michelle contemplated his words. They were true; the older brunette had been graced with a strength that Michelle had always been in awe of. Her ability to pull through even the direst situations without falling under had always amazed her. She allowed the thought to ignite, for the first time, the tiniest spark of hope in her chest. Nodding, she let go of Kate and walked over to the side of Carla's bed, just about managing to compose herself. The hand that wasn't encased in plaster was completely obscured with the drips that had been inserted into the back of it. Carefully, she slipped her palm beneath hers, her skin comfortingly warm against her own as she brushed her thumb along Carla's still fingers, longing for the other woman to squeeze her hand in response.

"Hi, beautiful. I'm here, now. You're going to be better soon." She whispered, dipping her head to graze her lips against the skin she'd previously been stroking; she was unable to stop the tears that slid down her cheeks when she pressed delicate kisses over the older brunettes knuckles.

"I'll kill him for doing this to her." Johnny growled, shaking his head in disbelief that one person alone could cause someone so much damage. Both he and Kate had taken the two remaining seats at the other side of Carla's bed.

"What did the police say?"

"Police?"

"Dad called them while you were in the ambulance with Carla." Kate explained, her own hand resting against her sisters leg over the top of the blanket.

"Well it's all word of mouth, isn't it? They'll want to speak to Carla when she wakes up."

"It's my fault." Michelle whispered, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked over towards the pair. Guilt was squirming in the pit of her stomach; she hadn't had any colour in her face to begin with, but she was nearing on grey now. "I should have gone to the police from the start. I could have stopped this." The brunette woman felt sickened with herself; she'd seen more than enough warning signs and she'd let him get away with it. Now Carla was fighting for her life and she had the nerve to grieve when it was her fault she was there at all.

"Of course it isn't your fault! No one could have predicted this. Ali was getting him treatment. We don't know what happened." Johnny tried to reason with his niece, but she seemed adamant on blaming herself.

"We do know. He somehow managed to get her on her own and beat her within an inch of her life. I'll never forgive myself and if Carla doesn't either, then I won't blame her." Tears were flowing thick and fast from her eyes, the older brunettes face blurring as she tried to blink them away; she had Carla's hands clasped between her own and she didn't want to let go of it.

"There won't be anything to forgive. She loves you, Michelle. She's not going to blame you. We don't either."

 **IXIXIXI**

The sound of the door swinging open was what caused Michelle to jump and open her eyes. She hadn't even realised she'd managed to fall into a fitful sleep, surrounded by the steady sound of the machines that were monitoring Carla's progress. Curled awkwardly in her chair, her head had been just perched on the edge of the older woman's pillow, her hand still clasped carefully in the one that wasn't encased in plaster, though she'd had to mindful of the tubes attached to the back of it. When she sat up, a damp patch was prominent against the white cotton, it seemed evident that Michelle had cried herself into a state of exhaustion against it. Her face was still damp with lingering tears.

True to her word, she hadn't left the other woman's side. Even after Johnny and Kate had left and Ryan had tried to persuade his mother to go home with them, she'd refused point blank to move. Having been allowed to stay only reflected the seriousness of the situation and Michelle was determined not to waste a second of her time away from Carla. She'd stayed awake for hours talking to the older brunette, watching the monitors for a change in complete paranoia, even though Ali had assured her numerous times that if anything was to change, the Doctors would be the first to know. Michelle had argued that she wanted to look after her, like she should have done in the first place. If only she hadn't rushed off to that stupid meeting, then they might all have been at home that night. Together.

It was a nurse who'd stepped into the room and woken her, though she was quickly followed in by Ali, who offered her a small smile.

"How're you doing?" He asked, watching the way she grimaced as she sat up, rubbing at the stiff pain in her neck, courtesy of having allowed herself to doze off in such a crooked position. "Maybe you should head off home and get some proper rest?"

"How's Carla doing?" Michelle returned, blatantly ignoring his suggestion that she leave even the room, let alone the hospital.

"There's been no change, but that's not a bad thing remember." He assured her, stepping out of the way as Ryan entered the room. He took a seat next to Michelle and glanced up at Ali expectantly, looking disappointed when he shook his head, indicating there was no news.

"Mum, don't you think you should go home?"

"Already tried that one." Ali sighed, moving to stand at the foot of the bed.

The nurse who had entered was shuffling delicately around them, checking the fluid bags which were hanging from the stands by the bed, ensuring that Carla was sufficiently hydrated and medicated. Michelle watched her through glassy eyes, feeling utterly useless that all she could do was sit there and cry. Blood was still caked in the older woman's hair, dark clumps of it hanging in the usually shiny tresses. She knew Carla would hate it.

"Tell me what I need to do when she wakes up." Michelle murmured, wanting to prepare herself for anything that could help aid her recovery.

Ali look apprehensive, not wanting to bombard her with a list of rules and regulations when she looked as though she was about end up in a hospital bed herself.

"Well, she'll probably be in pain. So you can help to make sure that she's on top with her medication. She might be forgetful and it's important she remembers to take her immunosuppressants as well as pain relief."

"Is that because of her head injury? How much will she remember?"

Again he looked reluctant to answer, wondering about how much he should tell her. He knew it would be better to wait until she had a clearer head, but her reluctance to leave meant that it didn't look like it'd be happening any time soon.

"I can't say for sure. Head injuries differ so much from patient to patient. She might remember nothing, she might remember everything. It could affect her processing future memories, or she could recover completely. It's difficult to say because we don't know how long she was left like that. We won't really know the full extent of the damage until we wake her up. Sometimes there can even be changes to persona-" He broke off, she clearly wasn't taking any of it in.

Michelle was starting straight through him, her expression completely blank. She

blinked slowly, her dark lashes sticky, clumped together. An intricate map of tiny red veins snaked from the edges of her eyes and into the centre, marring the whites of them. Deep shadows were beneath them, the purple jumping out alarmingly against the paleness of her skin. Ali let out a sigh turned to Ryan, as though silently asking for help.

"Tell you what, mum," He began, getting up from his seat and nodding towards the door. "Let the nurse do her checks and we'll go get a coffee, if you're adamant on staying here."

"Yeah, okay." Michelle agreed, thankful that they'd stopped trying to push her into leaving.

She still threw a scared glance towards Carla before she pushed herself up from her seat. As soon as she was on her feet, she felt suddenly light, airy. The floor seemed to melt from beneath her and she was floating. For a fleeting second, it was bliss, all the worry left her head, she'd forgotten for a moment what was causing her so much anxiety. The tight fist in her chest had unclenched and the harsh white room blurred in front of her, dimming into a much more comfortable darkness.

"Whoa, catch her!"

Both of her sons had darted forward; as soon as she'd stood up form her chair she'd lurched sideways, swaying dangerously before her knees had given way.

"Mum?" It was Ryan who'd managed to grab her before she'd hit the floor, both of the men helping her back into a seat.

Michelle let out a groan of discomfort, the room was spinning and it was fuelling the nausea that was swirling in her stomach. Ali was instructing her to lower her head, take deep breaths; his voice sounded a million miles away.

"I'm alright," She mumbled, gripping the sides of her seat as she opened her eyes, the spinning starting to come to a halt.

"You're not alright, you haven't eaten or slept in over twenty four hours. You need to go home." Ali's voice was firm this time, his tone stern and professional in hopes that it would force Michelle to take notice of him. He checked the clock on the wall, which told him his official shift had ended forty minutes before. "Let me take you back, Ryan can wait here with Carla and then Johnny and Kate will be back in a few hours. She won't be on her own."

Michelle looked from one son to another, her stomach sinking when she realised that neither of them were going to back down this time. It was an argument she'd lost and the thought of having to leave the hospital caused a wave of anxiety. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep, even if her body was protesting massively at her ill treatment of it. This time she rose to her feet cautiously and when the room remained steady, strode more confidently over to Carla's eerily still frame. She gazed down at her sleeping face, part of it obscured by the obnoxious breathing tube pushed between her lips. Michelle brushed her fingertips across her cheek, before leaning down and touching her lips against her skin.

"I won't be long," She whispered shakily, tears sliding down her cheeks. "I promise I'll be back, I'll be here when you wake up." Gulping back a sob, she fought against every instinct that was screaming her to stay. She pressed a final, lingering kiss to her forehead. "I love you, sweetheart."

 **IXIXIXI**

Michelle had refused point blank to go straight up into the flat, so by way of a compromise she was heading towards Roy's Rolls with Ali. She'd promised to update the cafe owner on Carla's health and her son had agreed with the idea that at least here, he'd be able to get her to eat.

Perhaps it was the lack of sleep or the never ending silence of being sat with Carla at the hospital, but the cafe seemed to be exceedingly busy and loud that morning. The sound of cutlery scraping against plates set her teeth on edge, the sound of excessively cheerful chatter buzzing in her ears. How could the world just carry on like it wasn't close to falling apart? The usually enticing scent of bacon caused her stomach to churn that morning, the thought of eating anything at all made her feel sick. She hadn't even realised the noise levels dropping significantly as she walked over to the counter with Ali, where Roy had instantly ceased buttering toast and provided Michelle with his complete attention. As soon as she opened her mouth to inform him of her development, she found her eyes filling with tears, her throat constricting as she tried to force out speech. Before her demeanour could be misconstrued, Ali jumped in, his hand held out reassuringly.

"She's not completely out of the woods but she should be okay. It's looking positive."

To Michelle, that wasn't nearly good enough. It wasn't a promise, it wasn't definite. Turning her head slightly, she contemplated how far she'd get if she tried to run from the cafe and make her way back to hospital. She could hear her son explaining the situation to Roy, the medical terms went completely over her head but of course the cafe owner understood perfectly. It seemed he wasn't the only one.

"Oh, thank god she's alright."

The brunette woman hadn't even realised that the table closest to the counter had been occupied by Peter Barlow, who had vacated his seat to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"That's not what he said." Michelle half snapped. To her surprise, his expression softened and he gave a small nod, lifting his hand to rest on her shoulder.

"But it's hopeful, isn't it? She's tough. She'll be alright, Michelle."

He sounded so sincere, she couldn't help the tears. Michelle almost wished that he'd snapped back at her, that she could deal with. But he'd shot her a sympathetic smile, squeezed her shoulder and she'd gone to pieces.

"Hey, come on, love." Peter pulled her into a comforting hug and despite herself she accepted, suddenly finding herself crying into his shoulder. "She wouldn't want you upsetting yourself like this."

"How can I not be upset? I love her. I'm terrified of losing her, I don't know how I'll cope."

"I know, I'm sorry. I know how that feels."

Completely unsure of where it came from, she felt a burn of anger ripple in her chest and ripped herself from his grip, giving him a rough shove.

"No you don't know how this feels!" She screamed, rendering the entire cafe silent. Peter looked taken aback at her sudden outburst, but didn't dare try and placate her. "Don't act like you understand! You had her and you threw her aside like she was _nothing._ God, how could you do that? I would never do that, I could never..." Tears splashed down her front and she dropped her head into her hands. Ali made to take a step towards her, about to call her but it seemed she wasn't finished yet. "You didn't deserve her, you couldn't have possibly loved her like I do because the thought of hurting her makes me feel sick! You had all that time with her...All that time and you took it all for granted and now I might lose her. I've barely just started loving her the way she deserves and now I might never get the chance- she could-" The brunette woman dissolved into tears right on the counter. There were no catty remarks to be made, not when clear trauma Michelle was in echoed heartbreakingly around the room, agonised sobs tearing from her throat.

It was harder than he'd imagined, years of medical school and training had taught him how to detach himself from the broken families that filtered in and out of hospital everyday, how to remain professional and stay calm in the wake of such pressure and upset. But it hadn't taught him what to do when he couldn't separate himself from the trauma, when he had to watch his own family break down. Blinking the moisture that had just pricked the corners of his own eyes, Ali slipped a careful arm around his mother who instantly accepted his comfort and buried her face into his chest.

"It's okay, it's okay," He whispered, rubbing a soothing hand over her back, knowing he couldn't possibly promise it would be okay at all. "Come on, mum, lets get you home."

"I don't want to go home, I need to go back to the hospital."

"You need sleep, otherwise you'll make yourself ill and Carla's going to need you when she wakes up."

He glanced over her shoulder and threw an apologetic grimace to Peter. Although Michelle might have made a valid point, it was clear that the other man was upset and it seemed he'd only been trying to help. Peter held up his his hand in understanding, his own eyes slightly watery as he murmured for Ali to look after her.

"I won't sleep. How can I? I just want to go back and be with her."

"Please, take these with you." Roy had brought himself around the counter and was pressing a bag into Ali's hands which clearly contained food of some sort. "Might I drop by and visit Carla myself, if I wouldn't be intruding?"

Wiping underneath her eyes, Michelle took a deep breath and nodded, turning to Roy with what was supposed to be a grateful smile, but the smile never quite managed to stretch her lips.

"Of course you can, you're her family. You wouldn't be intruding."

Allowing her son to lead her from the cafe, they started the small walk down towards Victoria Court. Even the sight of the building cause the anxiety to begin to build in Michelle's chest. She hoped there wouldn't be a wait for the lifts because she knew she wouldn't be able to face passing _his_ door.

"Ryan said all his things had been cleared out, he's done a bunk."

"That screams guilty to me." Michelle uttered through clenched teeth, linking her arm through Ali's as they stepped into the building together. Of course he'd done it, the bruises around Carla's neck had made it clear someone had grabbed hold of her. Bit until she woke up, could he even be charged? How much would she remember? The thought of him coming back to finish whatever he'd intended made her blood run cold, but there was also a fierce determination within her that he wouldn't ever be able to lay a hand on Carla again, not if she had anything to do with it.

"Right, why don't you go and shower and I'll see to these?" Ali shook the bag that Roy had insisted they take with them. Michelle shot him a look, but decided that a shower might bring her around. Her head was still foggy, her body exhausted as her feet dragged her towards the bathroom. As much as she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep, she could barely call the state she was in 'awake'. It felt like her body was merely going through the motions; it had taken her three attempts to wash her hair before she realised each time she'd tipped conditioner into the palm of her hand. In the end she'd given up and allowed the water to wash over her, barely noticing that it was freezing. Goosebumps prickled along her arms, her body started to shiver in protest against the rapidly falling temperature. It was only when Ali tapped on the door and called in concern that she dragged herself up, forcing her brain to focus on getting back to the hospital in as little time as she could manage.

"I'm fine, I won't be long."

But that meant she had to stop putting off the inevitable. Wrapped in a dressing gown, she pushed the door open to hers and Carla's bedroom and hovered by the frame, leaning against it. The bed was still unmade from the previous morning, sheets rumpled, one of the pillows had fallen to the floor; disarray if clothing littered the carpet around it. Lip trembling, she flopped down onto the mattress and picked up the pillow from the floor. It was Carla's. She hugged it to her chest, pressing her face into the cool material and inhaling the scent of her shampoo, the hint of perfume that has permeated the cotton over time. The tears came and she let them fall, curling up around the cushion she was clutching onto, using it to muffle the sound of her cries. She should be there. If she closed her eyes for a second, she could almost feel the dark strands of hair between her fingertips.

 _Keep it together._ Forcing herself up from the bed, she began to pack everything that Carla would need when woke up. Because she _was_ going to wake up. She started to pull open the drawers, thinking. Cracked ribs, right, that meant anything that was button down, something she didn't have to stretch to get into. But nothing long sleeved, it might not go over the cast. Michelle was murmuring to herself as she dashed about the bedroom, the only pair of flat shoes of Carla's she could find were her ugg boots; they'd look a sight teamed together with leggings and button down blouses and the older woman would protest massively, but with any luck she wouldn't be seen for long in them. Folding her belongings as neatly as she could into a travel bag, she lastly located Carla's toothbrush and tucked it into one of the side pockets.

Although she'd taken great care in choosing what Carla would need, she barely have her own appearance any attention. Her hair, having only half dried had now began to curl slightly, but she didn't have the time of patience to be bothering with it, so she threw it roughly on top of her head and pulled the first pair of trousers that were hers and grabbed a top from the hanger, throwing it over her head without even looking.

"Mum, come and eat something!"

When she walked back out into the living area, a large bag in one hand and the pillow tucked under her arm, Ali shot her a puzzled glance.

"It's her pillow. The hospital ones are horrible."

He didn't argue, not about that. Instead, he pressed a plate into her hands and she looked aghast at the amount he'd piled onto it.

"Just have your toast, at least."

"I'll be sick."

"You won't, you'll feel better. Trust me, I'm a Doctor."

A hint of a smile crossed her lips and she sat down in the armchair, curling her legs beneath her and balancing the plate on her lap.

"You'll stay here again, won't you? To sleep?"

Ali's eyes flickered towards the door, which Michelle had locked and bolted as soon as they'd stepped through it.

"Don't worry," He assured her, offering her a warm smile. "You're not going to be alone either."

 **IXIXIXI**

Three days. Three agonising days had passed before the Connor family were finally blessed with the news they'd been begging to hear. Not once had Carla been left alone during this time; Michelle had only left her bedside when absolutely forced, when her family had argued and worn her down and even then, she'd returned barely enough hours later. There were deep purple shadows under her eyes, her pale face hadn't seen a hint of make up in all that time, her hair had lost some of its shine, hanging down her shoulders in limp, effortless waves.

The older brunette had a constant flurry of visitors, whenever Michelle hadn't been there the seats had been filled with Kate and Ryan, Johnny and Jenny; Roy had stopped by on numerous occasions, each time he seemed to have another 'get well' card in his hands and an influx of well wishers from the staff at Underworld, who'd been saddened to hear the news concerning their former boss.

On the day of the news, Maria had just left, having brought with her a bunch of flowers (courtesy of herself and the staff at Audrey's salon) which no one had any idea where to put. The bedside table next to Carla was already crammed full. Michelle hadn't wanted to throw any of them away, or donate them, she wanted the older brunette to wake up to see exactly how loved she was. Although, as Ryan pointed out, some of the plants were definitely on their last legs and it might send out the wrong sort of message if Carla woke up to a bunch of rotting carnations.

"Plus, I very much doubt Alya has really been 'sending lots of love and prayers' her way." He'd grimaced, taking the heavily wilting stems from the vase and throwing them into the bin, making room for the fresh ones Maria had left. "She's still got the cards, anyway."

It was then that Ali had walked in, practically beaming, holding a clipboard and followed in by Kate and Johnny, who he'd summoned from the vending machines.

"The swelling has receded massively, she's healed so much better and quicker than we could have hoped for."

For the first time, they were all smiling, eyes shining with hope; Michelle waiting on baited breath, her heart fluttering in her chest.

"We're bringing her out of the coma, it's safe for her to wake up."

Michelle's hands had flown to her mouth, her knees weakening as she let out a sob of relief, her son quickly hastening to catch her to she wouldn't fall again. It was a heartwarming scene, watching the family embrace one another; whatever the situation was when Carla did wake up, she was at least going to.

So now it was just a waiting game, which they'd been warned about. It could have been a few minutes or it could be hours. Only Michelle and Johnny remained in the room; Carla would likely wake up confused and they didn't want to overwhelm her with too many faces. That said, Kate had taken to anxiously pacing the room outside, peering through the blinds every few seconds.

The brunette woman was sat as close to the bed as her chair would permit, one hand clasped around Carla's. There were still drips in the back of her hand, and the tube in her mouth wouldn't be removed until she'd awakened and they were sure she could breathe without it. Michelle's eyes were fixated on her face, her brain ticking her into thinking she could she her eyes flickering; she was determined to keep her promise, that her eyes would be the first Carla saw when she opened her own.

"Typical of you to keep us all waiting. You like to make an entrance, don't you? We should have known really." She spoke out loud, trailing her fingertips lightly over the sleeping woman's arm. Blinking the tears from her eyes, she cleared her throat and continued to speak to the other woman. "I've missed you, so much. We all have. I can't wait to look into your eyes again. Everyone's waiting for you, sweetheart."

Johnny was watching her with an encouraging smile. He'd seen first hand over the last few days exactly how much Michelle loved his daughter. Of course he knew they'd been close for years, but the extent of it had only become apparent the more time he'd spent in her presence. Having been absent for most of her life, he knew he owed a lot to his niece and would be forever grateful that because of her, Carla had grown up knowing some form of love. It seemed Michelle's, for her, was unconditional.

"Carla?" The gasp that had left his niece's throat instantly drew his attention to his daughters face.

Had she been imagining it again? Michelle was sure she'd seen the older brunette's eyelashes move. Carla's fingertips twitched in her hand and she jumped up from her seat, moving her hand to the the woman's cheek. "It's me, darling. It's Michelle. Your dad's here, too. Come on, you can open your eyes, now. It's okay..." She pleaded desperately with the other woman, brushing her thumb against her cheekbone. The older woman was definitely stirring, her head moved against the pillow and Johnny had also sprung to his feet, pushing the call button beside Carla's bed, his eyes brimming with moisture.

"Come on, sweetheart."

Neither of them dared to take a breath, watching as slowly, but very surely, Carla's eyes flickered open, a hint of hazy green peeking out from beneath her lashes.

"Hi, baby, hi..." It was halfway between a sob and a cry of joy that left Michelle's lips, a grin already across her face but tears sliding rapidly down her cheeks. She blinked them away furiously, not wanting her vision to be blurred. No matter what state Carla awoke in, she'd vowed to look after her, do whatever she could to make her better. Ali had warned her she needed to be sure what she was taking on, the list of possible outcomes extensive, but as soon as Carla had stirred Michelle knew that she'd provide her with whatever care was necessary to her recovery without a shadow of a doubt.

The older brunettes gaze shifted from confusion to panic, the monitor beside her indicating that her heart was racing. She was trying to breathe, but there was something stuck in her throat, suffocating her. A blinding white light obscured her vision and she could hear voices, but they were muffled. There was a harsh beeping ringing in her ears and it hurt. It made her head throb and she tried to pull away from whatever was causing her to choke and splutter. Why couldn't she breathe? She was going to die.

"Don't fight it, don't fight against it sweetheart, just relax. You're safe." Her voice was familiar and frantic, she could feel fingertips stroking down her cheek and then they were pulling away, leaving her. She didn't want them to go. Ignoring the pain as she threw out her hand, the drips attached to the back of it jerked against the tape that was holding them in place.

As soon as Johnny had pressed the call button, Ali had rushed into the room accompanied by a nurse. They'd immediately tried to move Michelle out of the way so they could remove the tube from Carla, but she'd caught hold of the younger woman's hand, gripping it tight to prevent her from leaving.

"It's okay, I promise." Michelle spoke out soothingly, keeping her hand in Carla's. It pained her to see her in clear discomfort, her hold on Michelle's hand becoming almost painful as the nurse worked to separate her from the breathing tube. She must have been terrified. "I'm right here, you're safe."

"Is she okay?" Johnny asked, concern lacing his tone.

"Distressed and disorientated, that's only to be expected." Ali informed him, his manner was professional but he gave them both a small smile when he stepped away from the woman's bed after finishing his checks, thanking the nurse who was sorting the tube she'd now managed to dislodge from Carla's throat. "I think she'll be okay in a minute, when she sees... ah, there we go."

The older brunette had clapped eyes on Michelle, barely able to make her out as her eyes struggled to focus on the sudden onslaught of light. But it was her, it was Michelle's voice and Michelle's hair that tickled her cheek when the younger woman dipped down to kiss her cheek. Opening her mouth to speak, she found she couldn't force the words out, nothing but a croak sounded from her lips, followed by an onslaught of coughing. Her eyes streamed, her throat like sandpaper and she struggled to swallow due to the lack of moisture in her mouth.

Michelle picked up the water jug on her bedside and poured her a cup, holding the straw to her lips.

"Steady, not too fast." She murmured gently, her thumb still stroking against her cheek as the brunette woman drank desperately, panting by the time she'd had enough.

"Carla, do you know where you are?" Ali asked from where he was stood at the foot of her bed. He watched as she glanced around the room, Johnny beaming at her when she met his gaze, before she met his own.

"Hospital," She croaked, bringing her hand up to shield her eyes from the light, wincing when she caught sight of the cast encasing her wrist. "It's two thousand and eighteen, Theresa May's the Prime Minister and you, Doctor, asked me on a date and I turned you down... slightly inappropriate." Though her voice was weak, barely a whisper, the sarcasm in her tone was perfectly audible. "Do I pass?"

Michelle was half laughing, half sobbing as she took hold of the other woman's face, leaning down, plastering her in gentle kisses, her lips fluttering across her forehead, dancing down her cheeks. "I thought I'd lost you, I was so scared."

"You don't get rid of me that easily," Carla whispered, still trying to take in what was happening. She was wracking her brains to try and remember where she'd last been before waking up, but it was making her head throb even harder against her skull.

Noticing her grimace, Michelle stepped back, scanning her face worriedly.

"Carla?"

"I feel like I've got the world's biggest hangover. What happened?"

"You been asleep for four days, Carla..."

The brunette woman froze, her eyes widening as she turned to face Michelle, holding out her hand for the other woman to take; no wonder the younger brunette looked like she'd been dragged through hell and back.

"You hit your head," Ali answered the question she hadn't asked. "It caused a swelling on your brain. You've got a fractured rib and your wrist is broken."

"Oh, is that all?" She mumbled, her eyes closing for a moment as she sank further into her pillow, feeling exhausted. "Give us a minute and then I'll pack my gym bag."

The three of them chuckled, she certainly seemed like the Carla they all knew and loved. Johnny took a step closer to her, lightly resting his hand against her shoulder.

"We were hoping you could tell us how it happened?"

Struggling to keep her eyes open against the throbbing that was now in her side, Carla swallowed, the pain in her throat jolting her into a reminder of exactly where she'd been.

"It was Robert."

 **IXIXIXI**

"Oh, what? Already? You've barely been awake!" Johnny protested suddenly, causing both Michelle and Kate to glance across to the window.

Carla had slept for a little while longer after a tearful reunion with Kate. It seemed the young girl was somewhat traumatised, after finding her sister unconscious in Robert's flat. It had taken a lot of reassurance on Carla's part before Kate had finally believed she was okay. Neither she or Michelle had left the room while Carla slept, though Johnny and Ryan had filtered in and out, bringing them drinks and food from the cafe. Although Michelle had encouraged Kate to eat, she'd barely eaten a bite herself; the adrenaline that had coursed through her body when during Carla's awakening had unsettled her stomach, she felt nauseous again.

There was a police officer waiting outside the room, talking with Ali who seemed to be giving her the all clear to go in and speak to Carla.

"Mrs Connor? I'm Officer Parkes, is it okay if I ask you some questions?"

"Yeah, pull up a chair." Carla sighed, thinking that she'd rather get this over with than have it hanging over her head any longer.

Letting out a groan, Kate stood up, kissing her sisters cheek and promising that she'd be back to see her later. Johnny looked as though he was about to ask if he could stay, but his younger daughter tugged on his arm and he reluctantly followed suit, assuring Carla that he too would be back.

"Can she stay? She's sort of relevant in all of this." Carla suddenly asked, nodding over at Michelle who'd made to get up and give them some privacy. The officer nodded and the younger woman dropped back down into her seat, reaching out for Carla's hand.

"So, Mr Preston attacked you. Do you know why?"

"Yeah, I can think of a few reasons." Carla scoffed, a humourless laugh escaping her lips, one that caused a twinge of pain in her side. "He hates me because I'm with Michelle."

"I'm his ex fiancée," The younger woman admitted, curing the look of confusion that had swept across the uniformed woman's face.

"Can I ask why you split up?"

Michelle glanced at the floor, biting her lip.

"He was... _is_ addicted to steroids. Probably other substances now. It got too much, he changed."

"And had Mr Preston shown any previous signs of violent before prior to his attack on Mrs Connor?"

The younger woman's eyes filled with tears and she gave a slow nod.

"He's hit me before, after we split up. But that was an accident- I know how that sounds but it genuinely was. He smashed up his flat, the Bistro he owns, he hit one of the members of staff. He grabbed Carla-" Her voice cracked, listing off everything the man had done made her feel beyond stupid and an incredible guilt squeezed at her insides, making it hard for her to draw breath. "I should have reported all of this, I know. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, this is my fault." Dropping her head into her hands, she cried into them, too ashamed to face Carla; guilty for even causing such a scene when Michelle had got off so lightly. It was the other brunette who was sat in bed with broken bones and a serious head injury.

"'Chelle," Carla was tugging on her hand, trying to pry it from her face, but the younger woman wouldn't look up. She looked agonised, watching Michelle blame herself and frustrated that she was unable to get up properly to comfort her. "Michelle, come here." Her tone was firm and when the other brunette finally glanced up, she gestured for her to come closer.

Wiping her face, Michelle shuffled her chair close, but Carla shook her head, patting the empty space on the bed beside her.

"No, up here."

Wrapping an arm around the younger woman, she gently coaxed her down until she was resting against her shoulder, dropping a soft kiss to the side of her head.

"'Chelle, it isn't- Er, Michelle? When Carla had tried to reassure her, she'd turned away again in refusal to accept she wasn't to blame, until Carla reached back out and took hold of her chin, bringing her face around so she had no choice but to meet her eyes. "It isn't your fault, do you hear me? As I'm about to explain, I stepped into his flat. I remember, now. He said he needed a word, he sounded desperate, upset. I stupidly followed him in and he suddenly blew up in my face, reckoned we were engaged and he grabbed hold of me."

Taking a deep breath which came with a stab of pain, she started to explain exactly what she remembered about that night. It was difficult, made so by the fact that Michelle was beside her, gripping her hand tighter with every new bit of information. She could feel the younger woman trembling and she just knew, no matter how much she insisted Michelle wasn't to blame, she was sat there allowing the guilt to pile onto her shoulders.

"Thank you, Mrs Connor." It seemed she'd given enough information and she was glad of it, her head was throbbing; she wanted nothing more than to lie back against the pillows and not have to think for a while. "We'll be in touch, you take care of yourself."

They watched her leave, neither of them speaking. Ignoring the pain it caused her, Carla moved herself further towards the edge of the bed and Michelle wordlessly swung her legs into the space, laying next to Carla and turning to face her. The older woman studied her face; she didn't look any better rested since the last the last time she'd been awake, which meant that unlike her, Michelle still hadn't slept. A single tear slid down her cheek and she used her pad of her thumb to brush it away.

"Don't cry, 'Chelle,"

The younger woman still didn't answer, just touched her forehead lightly against Carla's and allowed her eyes to close for a moment. Signing, she wrapped her arm around the woman's slight frame and leant in as though to kiss her lips, though seemed to think the better of it and pulled back, causing a frown to mar the younger woman's features.

"Sorry, I'm just all gross at the minute." She sighed, pressing her lips together and inwardly wincing at how dry and sore they felt.

Michelle raised her eyebrows, reaching down to tug at the zip on the bag she'd packed for Carla. It was a struggle, but she managed to extract the wash bag and rummaged through the items she'd haphazardly thrown into it. Pulling out the small cylinder case that was the honey lip balm that she'd seen Carla use every morning while getting ready. Popping the lid off, she tilted the older brunettes chin and gently applied the soothing moisturiser over her lips.

"I really don't care how 'gross' you think you are- you're not by the way, you look beautiful." She continued to run the pale yellow substance over a full upper lip, using her fingertips to pat the balm in. "But I thought you were going to die, I thought I'd never kiss you again. So if you think there's anything at all that's going to ever put me off wanting-"

Carla had effectively stopped her rambling by pressing their lips together, the first kiss they'd had for days. It was so tentative, Michelle's lips barely moving against the other woman's, but they lingered, the older brunette's fingertips pushing tenderly through her hair before settling again she cheek.

They weren't sure whether it was allowed and fully expected to be told off at some point, but when they reluctantly broke apart, Carla coaxed Michelle down onto the bed with her, the younger woman being careful not to agitate her injuries as she wrapped her arm across the older woman's waist; avoiding her injured side and instead resting against her hip.

"Carla, I love you." Michelle's voice was thick, it sounded as though she'd succumbed to tears again. Reaching for the hand that the younger woman had wound around her, she locked their fingers together the best she could, the plaster obscuring a good part of her hand.

"I know, darling. I love you, too. I love you so much."

 **IXIXIXI**

"I thought you were going in to see her?" Johnny frowned, walking back to the ward with two coffees and finding Kate stood by the window, gazing into Carla's room.

The older woman had become restless in the days that followed her recovery. Though she was progressing well, it was still too soon to be able to pin point any long term affects. Aside from the pain and the tiredness that came from managing it, she seemed to be thriving. She'd already taken to bossing Michelle home for a decent sleep each evening, though whether the younger woman actually slept adequately remained yet to be known; she was always the first visitor to show up and the last one out of the door.

"Yeah I am, I'm just giving them a minute. I think they need it."

Michelle was stretched out by Carla's side once more, the two of them seemingly in their own little world as they murmured to one another, apparently in idle conversation. The younger brunette was hanging on Carla's every word, so much so that she hadn't yet blinked. She had one arm raised to the older woman's cheek, stroking her fingertips over her skin and Carla was mirroring her actions. Whatever she'd said to her, it caused Michelle's face to break into a huge grin and she tilted her head up to brush her lips tenderly against the other brunette's. When they broke apart, they didn't move very far, their foreheads still touching as they resumed conversation, still continuing their gentle caressing.

"It's so nice at the beginning, isn't it? When you're completely in love." Kate sighed happily, watching the way Carla lightly judged her nose against Michelle's, prompting her to reconnect their lips once more.

"They're not at the beginning though, are they? They've been inseparable for years."

"Yeah and that's a good thing. I reckon they'll finally settle down together, now. Come on, they've had long enough." She grinned, taking her drink and pushing her way into the room.

"Oh, hello. I wasn't expecting you both." Carla greeted them as they stepped through, struggling to push herself into a more upright position. "You don't have to keep troubling yourselves, I'm allowed home in a few days."

"Don't be daft, it's no trouble coming to see you." Johnny assured her, walking over to press a swift kiss against her cheek. "Jenny sends her love and Ryan should be here in a minute. He's down the corridor talking to Ali."

Michelle looked taken aback at this information, a slight frown dancing across her features. She wondered whether she should be worried about this, but neither Johnny or Kate looked hassled, so it couldn't have meant there was any altercation of some kind.

"They got into a long winded and very boring conversation about football. It went over my head." Johnny shrugged, taking a seat next to Kate.

"They seem to be getting on a lot better." Carla commented, giving Michelle's hand a reassuring squeeze. It had been a battle and a half to try and get the two men to be civil to one another and while they might not see eye to eye, it was a relief to know that some progress had been made.

"I might nip and see where he's got to, I fancy a drink myself." With great caution, she extracted herself slowly from Carla's bed, fussing over the blanket once she had, making sure that it was covering the older woman properly. "Can I get you anything, darlin'?"

Carla was watching her with a raised eyebrow, she'd lightly batted her hand away when she'd started to mess around with the blanket, rolling her eyes.

"You can't help yourself, can you? Constantly worrying and fretting over everyone, you're a nightmare." But she was smiling up at her, she'd never known anyone as caring as Michelle, who'd move heaven and earth for the people she loved and Carla felt extremely lucky that she happened to be one of those people.

No sooner had she left, Ryan waltzed into the room, shaking his head in disbelief.

"He reckons he had a bigger collection of stickers in his football album. I told him he was mental, mum used to go off at me all the time for leaving wrappers all over the house." He rolled his eyes, greeting Carla and pulling an iPod from his pocket. "Here, I've heard the hospital radio is drivel. I made you the best playlist."

Looking bemused, the older brunette took the device from her nephew and shot him an apprehensive glance.

"It is proper music isn't it? Not that remixed rubbish without any real instruments?"

"Hey, I'm a DJ and a guitarist. If anyone knows good music, it's me." He smirked cockily. "I think you'll enjoy track twelve, especially."

Curious, Carla picked up one of the earbuds and quickly nestled it into position. Strictly speaking, she wasn't sure that an iPod would be allowed in the room with her, but she'd already taken to using her phone. Besides, any longer staring at the same four walls and she reckoned that a head injury wouldn't be the biggest risk to her sanity. She allowed her nephew to skip along the tracks for her, settling on the correct one before stepping back with a pleased grin on his face.

The gentle notes of a guitar played through the tiny speaker and Carla was sure she'd heard the tune before. Wracking her brains to try and figure out exactly where she had, she'd just given up and turned to ask her nephew about it when the singing started. Green eyes widened in realisation, Ryan watching victoriously when she clapped her hand to her mouth, glancing up at him in disbelief.

"This is Michelle..."

"What?" Johnny and Kate questioned in confusion and Carla, somewhat reluctantly, plucked the speaker from her ear and held it out for her eager sister to take.

"Well, we needed a demo. Our band is fine for night do's but we wanted to show that we were appropriate for first dances and such." Ryan explained, watching as realisation dawned on Kate's face and she let out a cry of recognition, before passing the decide over to a bewildered Johnny. "So we hired a recording studio out one rehearsal and we did a few songs. I think they turned out okay."

"It's brilliant." Johnny agreed, listening to his niece's voice singing through the speaker. "I forget how talented my family are." There was a clear note of pride in his tone as he allowed Ryan to pass the iPod back over to Carla.

"Well it's the song she sang at the Bistro that time and you both disappeared off into the kitchen after. I figured you'd enjoyed it."

A hint of pink coloured Carla's cheeks at her nephews recollection and despite the fact that it was supposed to be injured, her brain was doing an astounding job of embarrassing her, throwing up the memory of exactly what had happened that night when Michelle had taken her back to the flat; one that was entirely inappropriate to be playing at the front of her mind when her family were gathered around her sickbed. Thankfully, she was spared further questioning when Michelle came back from her drinks mission, bumping the door with her hip due to the take out cups clasped in her hands.

"You never did tell me if you wanted anything. I got you a coffee- decaf though."

"Ooh, did you see that?" Kate teased, chuckling as she pointed to the machine on Carla's right. "Her heart monitor spiked when Michelle walked in."

Carla narrowed her eyes at Kate playfully, unable to tell whether she'd been serious or not. Turning her attention back to Michelle, who was placing her own drink at the side of the bed, she tilted her chin, gazing up at her expectantly. It was almost scary, being reminded that the two Zdidn't always need to speak to communicate. A curtain of shiny hair fell down and blocked Michelle's face from view as she leant down to deliver a kiss against the waiting woman's lips.

"There, look!" Ryan and Kate called out at the same time, both of their hands flying out to point at the monitor, which did indeed show a sudden anomaly in the steady pattern. The observation was met with laughter all around, Carla felt her cheeks heat up as she glanced somewhat sulkily around the room, feeling that this was somewhat unfair.

"I'm sure this has to be against my human rights. I'm all exposed." She complained, though reached out to grasp Michelle's hand, tugging to brunette woman down to sit on the bed with her. The pain in her side was dulled thanks to the medication she was on, but it barely registered in her brain anyway. She just wanted to be close to Michelle.

"Aw, don't tease her. She's delicate." Michelle chuckled, lacing her fingers through Carla's properly once she'd shifted herself into a more comfortable position, constantly mindful not to move the other woman too much.

"Delicate and exhausted." Carla corrected, glancing up at the clock, knowing that one of the Doctors would be along any minute to turf them all out. She could already feel the younger woman tending beside her, the same routine they'd been going through for days now. "You're going too, 'Chelle. Ryan's told me you're barely sleeping. He says you keep cleaning."

"Bit of an understatement, really. I left a sock in the bathroom and she nearly took my head off."

"I want it perfect for when you're home..." Michelle protested, her cheeks flushing pink.

"And I want you well rested. You'll need it, you'll be waiting on me hand and foot when I'm home." Every time she reminded herself that she was returning home, she felt a flutter of excitement. She couldn't wait to be in her own bed, have a proper shower. Blood was still matted in her hair around the wound and as much as Michelle assured her she didn't look a complete state, she felt it.

"Don't you flash those doe eyes at me. You're going home with this lot and I won't hear anything more about it."

 **IXIXIXI**

"Wow, you really have gone all out." Carla glanced around the apartment, impressed, when she finally stepped through the doorway. It had been a slow walk along the corridor, Ryan joking that she was hobbling along like a little old lady had been met with a fierce glare from the brunette, who'd requested that he refrained from using 'old' to describe her As soon as the three of them were safely through the door, Michelle had locked it behind them, slid on the chain and fastened a new bolt that Carla knew for a fact hadn't been there when they'd moved in.

"'Chelle, that's a bit much, isn't it?"

"I'm not taking any chances." She shrugged, dumping Carla's hospital bag by the washing machine. "Right, you'll be okay for pain medication for another few hours. So do you want a drink? Something to eat? You said the hospital food wasn't up to much. I can make you anything you-"

"Babe, calm down." Carla chuckled, holding onto her side as she did. Michelle had spent the taxi ride home ploughing through the recovery leaflets that she'd been sent home with, memorising everything they needed to watch out for. Carla had reminded her that during the day, an actual Doctor would be asleep in the next room. "I'm not hungry, I just want a bath. That's all I want."

"I just want to look after you," Michelle sighed, suddenly worrying she was coming across as overbearing. Making her way over to Carla, she took both of her hands and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. "Nearly losing you really scared me."

"I know it did, baby, I know," The older woman sighed, leaning forward to press a soft kiss against her lips. "And you've been amazing, you've already looked after me so much. I'm just worried about you running yourself into the ground, that's all."

"I'm fine, really." Michelle promised, her eyes fluttering closed for a second when Carla brought her hand to rest against her cheek, relishing in the warmth and comfort of such a simple touch. "I'll go and run you that bath."

The tub was brimming with bubbles and smelled heavenly. Even the thought of sinking into the warmth was enough to cause a wave of contentment to flutter over her shoulders. Michelle had just been finishing lighting the last of the candles by the windowsill when Carla had walked in. She lowered herself gingerly to perch on the edge of the bath and began to fumble with the buttons on the shirt Michelle had packed for her.

The younger woman sidled over to her and gently nudged her fingertips away, taking over the unbuttoning and carefully starting to push the material from her shoulders. Carla kept her gaze on her knees, unsure if she'd be able to tolerate the look on Michelle's face when she saw. It was eerily silent when the shirt was pulled from her frame, the younger woman hadn't even spoken and after a moment, she dared to look up.

Michelle's hand was clamped over her mouth, her hazel eyes leaking tears which fell down her face and disappeared between her fingertips. Carla hadn't even heard her take a breath, yet, she was shaking, her throat constricting as she gulped down the sobs that were threatening to break free from her lips. There were bruises dotted across each of her upper arms, marking the area where Robert had gripped hold of her, deep grey in colour. When her eyes dropped down, there was a map of bruising that expanded over Carla's side, painting her skin in hues of purple and green. Michelle's eyes traced over her injuries in horror and the older woman shook her head, opening her mouth to speak.

"Don't. Don't say it's not my fault." Michelle whispered, rubbing her hand across her forehead as she let out a sob, a mixture of guilt and shame knocking her sick to her core. "I'm so sorry, Carla, I'm sorry." She repeated it over and over, leaning forward and touching her mouth against the bruises that were scattered over her arms, pressing delicate kisses against them as she cried.

Carla let her, she didn't speak, just weaved her hand into Michelle's hair and stroked her fingertips through it soothingly, tears dripping into her lap. As much as she didn't blame Michelle at all, she knew the younger woman would always blame herself, nothing she said seemed to get through to her. In a way Carla understood, they both knew how easy it was to shoulder the guilt of something no one could have possibly predicted. She waited until Michelle's sobs had subsided before reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheeks, bringing her in to press a gentle kiss against her lips.

"Help me in?" She whispered, getting to her feet.

Composing herself and taking a deep breath, the younger brunette seemed to pull herself together, assisting Carla in removing the rest of her clothing as painlessly as they could manage together.

"Careful, now," Michelle was supporting her uninjured side helping the other woman lower herself slowly into the water. Carla let out a satisfied hum when her body was fully submerged in the bath, the warmth of the water instantly soothing her aching frame. She hung her arm that was caked in plaster over the edge and Michelle knelt beside her, lacing their fingers together. "Better?"

"Yeah, this is perfect. Well, almost." She threw Michelle a knowing smirk, who tapped her hand softly one response.

Closing her eyes, the older woman enjoyed the calm; combined with the painkillers, the heat made the pain she'd been in practically disappear. It was only when the water was starting to cool and she heard Michelle rattling around in the bathroom cabinet that she finally sat up properly, feeling the beginnings of a dull ache forming in her head.

Detaching the shower head from its stand, Michelle switched it on and held her hand beneath it, waiting for the temperature to evened out. Once it had, she placed her hand over Carla's forehead, shielding her eyes as she directed the spray of water over her hair.

Carla smiled to herself. Admittedly she had been wondering how on Earth she was going to manage to wash her hair sufficiently with one hand, but she knew she needn't have worried at all. Michelle was so caring, so gentle in the way she massaged the shampoo into her scalp, her fingertips slowing as they reached where she'd hit her head. She parted her hair carefully, the wound had been cleaned and glued up days ago, but Carla had complained non stop about the residual blood that had been left in her dark tresses.

"Tell me to stop, if it hurts." Michelle murmured, biting her lip in concentration as she began to carefully comb through her hair. It was a long process, partly because the younger woman was terrified of causing Carla anymore pain. The water had cooled considerably and there were goosebumps forming over the older brunettes arms by the time Michelle as finally rinsing out her hair. But she hadn't felt even a twinge of discomfort all the while the younger brunette had tended to her.

"Thank you," Carla whispered, after she was comfortably bundled up in one of Michelle's cosy dressing gowns, her hair finally clean and falling in tussled waves down her back. She already felt a million times better.

"You don't need to thank me. I told you," Michelle smiled, cupping the other woman's face in her hands and brushing her thumbs against her brilliant cheekbones. "I'm always going to look after you."

Even though she was completely exhausted, Michelle didn't dare close her eyes. It seemed too good to be true, completely unreal. Carla was here, right in front of her, in bed next her and the relief was too much. She gazed at her sleeping face, no longer obscured by tubes, only the sound of her steady breathing filling the air instead of the harsh bleep of the monitors. It was strange to think they wouldn't be disturbed, half expecting a nurse to bustle enough the door and start to fuss around the machines, berating Michelle for being there. The older woman looked so peaceful, she could easily watch her sleep for hours, taking in the smooth arch of her brow, the dip that created such prominent cheekbones, which gave way to the curve of a well defined jaw. She wanted to reach out and trace her finger along her skin, but refrained for fear of disturbing her. Her own eyelids were beginning to grow heavy, her body clearly making the most of her relaxed state; she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so at ease...

 _Carla felt herself being slammed up against the door, Roberts hold on her arms tightening. Her was grinning menacingly at her, but when she met his eyes, they weren't his. But how could they be? Frank Foster was dead. Feeling fear freeze her blood, she felt paralysed. One of his hands had started to pluck at the buttons on her top. She couldn't let it happen again. Not again. Struggling wildly, she cried out when he pushed her further against the door, his hand digging into her side, causing a searing pain to radiate throughout her body._

" _Please, don't do this. I don't want this." She whispered, but he just let out a dark bark of laughter. Looking at his face once more, it was Robert who was now staring down at her, teeth bared as he raised his hand._

" _She's mine, Carla." He raised his hand and the brunette woman flinched, letting out a scream as he brought his fist down against her._

Carla's eyes flew open as she cried out, sitting bolt up right in bed, the suddenness of her movement causing a stab of agony to spread through her side. She pressed her hand against her ribs, dropping back down against the pillows with a second shout of pain, trying to calm her terrified, ragged breaths, each one causing excruciating spasms to radiate through her body. The screams had woke Michelle, who had jumped up and flicked on the light, her heart in her throat as she set eyes on the terrified woman in front of her.

"Carla, it's okay, I'm here."

The older woman hadn't even heard her, she could still feel the hands gripping her arms, forcing her against the door, she felt trapped, the pain hadn't stopped even when she'd woken. It made it feel too real. Reaching out, the younger brunette attempted to cup her cheek, trying to get Carla to look at her.

"Don't!" Her body had frozen and Michelle shuffled away immediately holding her hands up.

"I won't, look I'm here. Look at me, Carla. You're safe."

The older brunette glanced around the room, her green eyes glittering with tears. Her face was shining with perspiration and she was struggling to slow her breathing, to shake the images from her mind. She took a deep breath, grimacing at the discomfort it caused, her teeth gritting together.

"Baby, what happened?" Michelle didn't dare move closer, but her own eyes had filled with tears; she wanted to reach out and comfort her.

"He...he wouldn't let me go." Carla eventually choked out, her hand covering her face as she let out a strained sob, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I thought he was going to...I was so scared. I couldn't stop it." She was trembling, her heart thudding erratically in her chest. When her eyes finally met Michelle's she saw they were also glistening. The younger brunette was laying at the other end of the bed; Carla realised she must have pushed her back.

"'Chelle," The name left her lips in a desperate whisper, not needing to voice the rest of what she wanted. Michelle inched closer, allowing the older woman to position herself comfortably against her body. The second she'd made contact with her, Carla collapsed into her chest and broke down.

"You're okay, you're safe. I'm here, no one can hurt you while I'm here." She spoke softly, running her hand through dark, newly washed tresses, the pad of her thumb rubbing small circles against her temple. "I've got you, darling, there's nothing to be scared of." Michelle was lacing her hair with kisses, her lips falling to brush against the side of her head, her hand rubbing against her back as she provided her with a blanket of comfort, the type only she could give her. It calmed her heart, soothed the tension in her shoulders. Carla felt safe, the fear beginning to ebb away slightly as the younger woman's gentle fingertips stroked down her cheek, erasing the tears from her face.

"I was back in his flat," The older brunette whispered, her voice still trembling, eyes squeezing shut as she tried to force the memory away. "But it wasn't Robert...well, it was. But then he turned into- into Frank...And then he was Robert again. I knew what was going to happen but I couldn't move."

There were tears on Michelle's cheeks as her hands cupped Carla's and she forced her eyes open to meet the saddened, hazel hues in front of her.

"It was just a dream, nothing bad will happen to you ever again. I swear to you, Carla, while ever I'm here, then anyone trying to get to you will have to get through me and I can promise you they won't."

Her eyes had glazed over with fierce determination, she looked so sincere. Carla believed her, Michelle had never given her a reason to think otherwise. Bringing her own hand up, she brushed away the tears that resided on the younger woman's face and stroked down her cheek, silently taking her in. She was so beautiful and that was just in who she was, the year of protection, comfort and loyalty that she'd given out so selflessly. Her thumb brushed over the purple shadows beneath her eyes, Michelle looked exhausted; Carla knew the younger woman had been forced to go home and sleep all while she'd been unconscious and from what Kate had mentioned, she'd barely slept for long, save for the hours she'd grabbed sporadically while being laid at Carla's side. It made her heart ache, knowing how scared she must have been; it was easy to imagine because she knew if it had been the other way around, she'd have gone to pieces herself. She made to move even closer to her, but the jolt of pain in her ribs caused an involuntary groan of pain to spring from her mouth.

"Hey, careful," Michelle whispered, instantly retracting herself from the other woman's hold. "I'll go and get your painkillers."

"'Chelle, don't leave." There was a hint of panic on her voice.

"They're only in the bathroom, I'll literally be seconds." Even so, she dipped down and touched a lingering kiss to her forehead, her lips warm and soft against her skin.

Carla attempted to manoeuvre herself into a more comfortable position, finding that she was able to lay on her side, providing it wasn't the injured one. She glanced wearily around the room, the sky outside was dimming, though it was probably only early evening; she couldn't be bothered to turn back around and glance at the clock.

"Do you want anything else?" Michelle asked when she'd returned to their bedroom, tipping two white pills into the Carla's palm and offering her the glass of water. "Are you hungry?"

The older brunette shook her head, swallowing the tablets down with a mouthful of water, before laying her head down on the pillow. Now the adrenaline from before had subsided, she felt fatigued, though there was still a feeling of unease that was tightening her chest.

"Will you-" She broke off, suddenly feeling embarrassed to ask. It was stupid, Michelle wouldn't think less of her and she knew that. "Will you lay behind me and hold me?"

The younger woman's expression instantly softened and she reached out to tuck a strand of Carla's hair behind her ear.

"Of course I will."

She was so careful, the way she climbed back into bed and shuffled cautiously over to the other woman, until Carla could feel the warmth of her pressed against her back. Reaching behind her, she found Michelle's hand and brought it across her body, lacing their fingers together once the younger woman's arm was positioned comfortably over her body. In theory, she should have felt enclosed, trapped once more, but the fact of it was she'd never felt safer, Michelle's body provided her with a wall of security. She let out a sigh of relief, the warmth of the younger woman's breath tickling her ear when she'd nuzzled into her to whisper.

"I love you, Carla."

"I love you, too, 'Chelle." She murmured softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. The other brunette was pressing gentle kisses to the side of her head and it was so soothing, she could almost have dropped right back off to sleep.

"Stop fighting it, you need to rest." Michelle's voice filled the darkness of the room a short while later. Every time Carla's breathing had started to even out, she'd felt the other woman raised her head slightly, as though glancing around the room, before settling back into her pillow and beginning to cycle once more. "Did you have any nightmares at the hospital?" Her lips were by the older woman's ear again, the soft velvet of them brushing over her skin.

Carla shook her head, feeling her skin begin to heat up already before she'd even started to admit to Michelle the reason why.

"That iPod Ryan gave me...I listened to you sing every night until I fell to sleep."

The older woman had spoken so quietly, it took Michelle a few moments to work out what she'd said. Her skin was on fire beneath her lips, but it only made her heart swell with love. Moving carefully, she leant further over Carla's body and kissed her heated cheek, lingering until the older woman turned her head a fraction and they were able to meet in a tender kiss. When Michelle reluctantly pulled back from it, Carla felt the younger woman's lips graze along her jaw and settle by her ear. Her lips parted once more, as though to speak to her, but the sound that came from them caused a wave of goosebumps to form down the other brunettes neck, across her shoulders and over her arms. It was soft and melodic, she was singing. It was even better than the sound that she'd grown used to listening to through the tiny speakers in a hospital bed; Michelle had adapted her voice, the song slower, more comforting. She could feel the warmth of her breath against her ear and her body seemed to fall back and meld against her.

The younger woman had let go of her hand only to comb her fingers delicately through Carla's chestnut hair as she sang; their lower limbs tangled together on the bed. It was impossible to fight against the drowsiness this time, not when the only thing she could now focus on was the soothing sound of Michelle's voice which swirled around her ears, infiltrating her brain and banishing her ability to think at all, let alone conjure up any false, negative memories.

Carla's breath had grown deep, even, she was sound asleep before she'd even sang the last line. Reaching down, Michelle took her hand once more and threaded her fingers lovingly through the other brunette's, giving them a final comforting squeeze.

' _Say you won't let go.'_

 **A/n: Might have been a little cheesy, my apologies. But phew, what a chapter! Sorry if this is a little long winded, there were quite a few scenes to get in, to set up the path that I'm taking the story in. The next few chapters will place more focus on long term recovery, psychological effects and of course a certain someone's come-uppance, as well as a possible cause for celebration! That's all I'll say. Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews and messages I keep getting over this story. Overwhelmed by how many people are so supportive over the ship and my writing. It makes my heart so warm and fuzzy. I'm definitely feeling hashtag blessed! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart!**


	16. Chapter 16

Carla was staring at the screen in utter bewilderment. Daytime television was usually such drivel and something she tended to avoid, although there was something amusing in the current tabloid talk show she was watching; it almost made their family seem normal. She was currently awaiting lie detector results, to see if the fella on screen had in fact slept with his fiancées mother, who had claimed she was now pregnant. The only other sound that filled the room was the occasional onslaught of tapping as Michelle worked furiously on her laptop, which was resting on the arm of the sofa, owing to the fact that Carla's head was in her lap. The younger woman's inbox had mounted up over the time Carla had been in hospital and even though many of her clients had been understanding, the occasional huff of annoyance sounded from Michelle's lips.

When she wasn't replying to her messages, she was reading them. Only needing one hand to scroll, her other would fall to Carla's hair, where she'd stroke careful fingertips through the dark tresses absentmindedly.

"Oh wind your flamin' neck in. I'm two days late in chasing up whether your great Aunt's cousin twice removed on your dad's side is coming to your stupid flippin' wedding." She grumbled at the screen, stabbing at the arrow key with more force than completely necessary.

At her outburst, Carla turned her head away from the screen and glanced up at the other woman, taking in the crease of her brow; she certainly looked stressed. With some difficulty, she eased herself up from her position, her hand clutching at the sharp pain in her side as she shuffled onto her lap, fully diverting Michelle's attention from the laptop. Carla didn't speak, just raised her hand and trailed her fingertips affectionately down the other woman's cheek, before dipping forward and pushing her lips up against Michelle's slightly parted ones, catching her lower lip between her own and lingering there.

"Take a break," She murmured quietly into the kiss, as the younger brunettes hand slowly left the keyboard and came to rest against the side of Carla's neck, her thumb brushing against her jaw.

"I've only got a few more emails-" Michelle started to say, but the other brunette shook her head, slanting her lips against hers once more.

"'Chelle," Her tone was almost stern at the stubborn woman's refusal. "Have a break."

The older brunette reconnected their lips with more force, winding her hands in Michelle's hair to hold her closer. She parted her mouth, deepening the kiss with the gentle swipe of her tongue, immensely satisfied when the younger woman released an audible whimper of approval. It had been far too long since they'd shared such a passionate moment, Carla was finding it difficult not to get caught up in it, despite the protesting stab of pain in her side. Knowing exactly just how well she could relieve any tension built up in Michelle, she slid her hand into the opening of her dressing gown, her fingertips skimming over the smooth plain of her stomach, inching their way up towards her chest. It was only then that Michelle broke the kiss, her breath heavy.

"Hey, hey, what're you doing? You came out of hospital yesterday. Stop..." She spoke softly, taking Carla's hand and gently removing it from beneath the silky material.

Carla pulled back, slightly breathless, one of her hands moving to clutch her side once more while the other rested against Michelle's shoulder. "I know," she whispered, closing her eyes against the dull throbbing that had begun behind her eyes. "Sorry, I just...I wanted to be close to you. And make you forget everything for a second."

Michelle closed the lid of the laptop and moved it to the cushion beside them, wrapping both of her arms around the older brunette and coaxing her down until she was laid against her, her head nestled in the crook of her neck.

"We are close," She pressed kisses into her hair as she spoke. "And this is perfect, this is all I need. Well, and a few of these..." Tipping Carla's chin, the younger woman dipped down again, smiling against the other woman's lips.

"I could do this all day."

"Well, there's nothing spoiling." Michelle grinned, moving forwards as she waited for Carla to continue where they'd broke off. The older brunette was just about to oblige, when the noise from the screen captured her attention.

"Oh, wait! Lie detector results!" Her eyes were eagerly fixated on the screen, a full lower lip caught firmly between her teeth as she waited in anticipation.

Feigning an offended scoff of disbelief, Michelle rolled her eyes, but allowed her to continue watching the show. She had after all just spent the last two hours of the morning with her own focus on a laptop, leaving the other woman to become unusually invested in the outcome of the programme.

"Ha, I knew it!" A delighted cackle left Carla's lips and she slapped her hand down against her leg as the host began to berate his guests, the audience heckling and booing. "He slept with his fiancée's mother and now she's pregnant. Oh that'll put a dampener on the occasion. What a nightmare!"

"Yeah, you sound devastated for them, babe."

When she turned to face the younger woman, who wore an expression not dissimilar to disapproval, her eyebrows raised, she offered her a sheepish grin.

"Well, it makes our family seem so much less dysfunctional," She defended, shrugging her shoulder before laying her head back on Michelle's chest. "There's no danger of me running off with yours, don't worry."

The noise that came from Michelle was one of utter disgust, her body tensing as she shuddered.

"Why? Why on earth would you bring up that image?" She winced, screwing her face up as she tried to force the thought away. "My stomach is churning."

Clearly, Carla was thoroughly enjoying winding her up. She lightly tapped the tip of the younger woman's wrinkled nose, finding the way it scrunched incredibly endearing.

"I hope you don't turn out like her, I might have to leave you, you know? Although, you definitely have more of a look of your dad. Now _he_ was a good looking fella-"

" _Carla!"_ Michelle looked as though she didn't know whether to laugh or vomit, her wide hazel eyes pleading with the other woman. "Pack it in, will you?"

The older brunette threw her head back, showing a full set of gleaming white teeth as she let out a filthy string of laughter, though it was cut short when a severe cramp shot through her side, causing her to gasp and clutch at her ribs. Michelle's expression changed from that of revulsion to concern, her hand moving to rest over the one Carla was holding against herself. The painkillers she took were supposed to take the edge off and the older brunette seemed fine when stationary, but she hadn't hid the flashes of pain, the almost silent winces, as well as she thought she had. Michelle had seen though her each time she'd tried to cover up how much movement hurt her.

"Hey, steady," The younger woman soothed, watching anxiously as Carla adjusted her position with difficulty. She waited until the older woman was seated more comfortably in her lap, her legs stretched out across the rest of the sofa, her good side leaning against Michelle's front and her head firmly tucked under the other brunettes chin, before speaking again. "Maybe we should make you an appointment at the medical centre. You're not due your painkillers for another couple of hours but they don't seem to be helping all that well."

"I'm fine," Carla breathed, the air leaving her lips in short gasps. The doctor had warned her against the infections that could occur if she avoided deeper breaths to try and quell the pain, but she just needed a few moments without such an intense throb of discomfort.

"You're such a liar," The younger woman signed, leaving a gentle kiss in her sweet smelling hair, the smooth scent of coconut and something flowery tickling her nose.

Carla tilted her head to glance up at her, meeting the concern in her eyes; taking in the way they faded from green around the edges to the ring of honey brown towards the centre, brought out so prominently by the light waves of hair that had fallen to frame her worried looking face. Michelle's brow was slightly furrowed and the other brunette felt the familiar rush of love seize her heart as she was reminded simultaneously just how much Michelle cared for her _and_ how well she knew her.

"I can't get anything past you, can I?" Carla murmured, lightly running her fingertips down her cheek, letting her hand linger there.

"Never. With you, I always know."

"Cut from the same cloth me an' you aren't we?"

Michelle's face lit up, just about refraining from holding the other woman tighter, the last thing she wanted was to cause her any more pain; her cheeks had coloured slightly at Carla's words, but she tried to hide it, rolling her eyes and speaking in an over-dramatic manner. "Made of atoms from the same star, separated by a supernova," She giggled, throwing her hand out to mime an explosion.

"Okay, reign it in," Carla smirked, leaning up to press her lips against the younger woman's, enjoying the way melded around her own, soft and warm. "It's too early in the morning for philosophical revelations." The words were muffled, her mouth's main focus being enveloping Michelle's, a quiet hum sounding from the younger brunette as Carla increased the pressure, teasing her with a gentle swipe of her tongue.

"I'll tell you what it is too early for; the pair of you snogging on the sofa like a couple of unruly teenagers."

The two women broke apart, sniggering slightly at the look of disgust on Ryan's face, who had made made an appearance earlier than usual for him. His face was still pale from sleep, his hair sticking up in odd directions making him seem younger than his years.

"Hey, Ryan, the kettle was on the blink earlier. Do us a favour and see if it's working?" Michelle smirked, watching in triumph as he shuffled over to the appliance with a slight frown on his face, flicking the switch on and looking confused when it jumped to life without issue.

"It's working now?"

"Well, now you're there. Two coffee's please."

"I can't believe he fell for that." Carla chuckled, watching her nephew let out a huff before opening the cupboard to bring down two mugs.

"Why are you up so early?" The younger woman asked her son, narrowing her eyes in suspicion as he rattled around in the kitchen.

He looked up from where he was spooning coffee into the cups on the counter, a pleased little grin forming across his face.

"I'm going shopping for a new shirt before work. I'm finally having my date tomorrow. You know, the one I was supposed to have before your crazy ex managed to mess the day up." He rolled his eyes, though threw a reassuring smile at Carla; he could hardly complain that he'd had to cancel his date after finding her in the state he had.

"I know the feeling," Carla murmured, glancing up at Michelle with a slight pout across her lips. "We haven't managed a real date, yet."

"Doesn't that usually come before the whole shacking up together thing?" The younger woman teased, unable to refrain from leaning down and connecting their lips once more. The feeling created a heat in her stomach that she was familiar with by now, but it was still just as addictive; perhaps even more so now that she'd had to contemplate a time where she might never have felt the cushioned velvet warmth of the other woman's mouth melded against her own. Carla responded deliberately slowly, capturing her lips between her own and holding her there, clearly enjoying the contact every bit as much as the younger woman.

There was a slam and the sound of an annoyed throat being cleared when Ryan placed the mugs onto the coffee table with more force than necessity, the noise prompting the two to pull apart again.

"Can you just not do that for five seconds?" He whined, eyeing them both disapprovingly.

"Oh don't act like you won't be hoping for the same on your date." Carla teased, reaching over the table, not for the coffee but instead for her handbag. She unzipped it and rummaged through the contents, finally finding her purse. "Here, go and get your shirt and anything left you can put towards taking her somewhere nice, can't you?" Holding out her hand, she was offering her nephew the money she had just taken out, raising her eyebrow when he didn't take it straight away. "Come on, it's the least I can do. I'd be dead if you and Kate hadn't found me."

"I didn't set out to find you because I was eyeing up a potential missing persons reward!" Ryan gasped, his mouth falling open as he looked at his Aunt in disbelief.

"I know that!" Carla laughed, reaching out with her other hand to grasp hold of his wrist, pulling him closer to practically force the money into his hand. "But I want to treat you, okay? I made you miss your original date so if you don't take it I'll feel really bad. And you wouldn't want that, would you?"

It seemed she was going to insist that he took it, so, still looking reluctant, he closed his hand around the cash and shook his head at her, though he was smiling too.

"Thank you," Leaning down, he pressed a swift kiss to the top of her head. "You've got a gem here, mum. You've finally got it right."

"You're telling me," Michelle whispered, having been watching the exchange between the two with a heartfelt smile. As soon as Ryan had let her go, she'd coaxed the older brunette back against her chest, running her fingers though her hair affectionately. "She's perfect."

At her words, Carla's head tilted and she looked up at the younger woman, her eyebrow raising skeptically at the statement. Michelle stated straight back, as though daring the other woman to challenge her. "What? You are."

There was a slight wince from her son as she gently tipped Carla's chin and he grumbled something about going for a shower, his face scrunching up once more as he hastened the leave the room.

Looking thoughtful when they broke apart, Carla cast her eyes to the laptop next to them and pulled it onto her knee, flipping the lid.

"I'm borrowing this a sec." She announced unnecessarily, trying to tilt the screen away from the younger woman's prying eyes. She suddenly looked suspicious.

"What're you doing?"

"Browsing." Carla answered simply, tapping lightly on the keys but still able to feel Michelle's gaze piercing the back of her head. A wry smile spread across her face and she tipped lid back slightly, purposely exposing the screen as she began to type obnoxiously into the search bar, hearing Michelle mumble to herself when she began to read the words appearing across the screen.

"' _How long after breaking a rib do I have to wait before I can have s-'_ Carla!" The younger woman tried to scold her, but the other brunette was laughing again and her grin was infectious. She couldn't stop herself from joining in.

 **IXIXIXI**

It had been somewhat of a slow process, but Carla had finally made it to Dev's shop. She could feel his eyes on her as soon as she hobbled through the door and gingerly made her way over to a display of magazines. There was only so much time she could spend in the flat, only so much television she could watch. Michelle had had to go grocery shopping, they'd been living predominantly off of food that either Roy had been insistent on delivering or Ryan had brought back at the end of his shifts at Speed Dahl; the younger woman's reluctance to leave Carla alone had meant that the contents of their fridge had dwindled into pretty much nothing.

Having got bored very quickly with only Ali snoring in the spare room for company, she'd decided that treating herself to a selection of new magazines would cheer her up; out of desperation she'd even tried to flick through one of the gaming ones that Ryan had left strewn out across the coffee table, but had soon given up. There was a slight dull ache in her side and it seemed these days she had a constant throbbing headache, though she was beginning to think the latter was now a possible side effect of her pain medication and she made a mental note to ask Ali about it.

Glancing up at the counter, a slight frown marred her features, the shop owner was still openly gawping at her, though he hadn't yet said hello. She raised her eyebrows, shooting him a pointed smile before turning back to the magazines, skimming her fingertip over the glossy covers. They suddenly seemed like the paper version of the television shows she'd been stuck watching as she glanced at the starring headlines. ' _My ex-fiancé tried to murder me'_ caused her to scoff slightly, so had hers yet she hadn't decided to have it splashed all over the pages of _Chit Chat._ Smirking humourlessly to herself, she idly pondered that she could fill a full rack of these just by telling her own life story. Rubbing a hand across her head, she suddenly felt a wave of frustration towards the magazines in front of her, having the urge to knock them right off the shelf or tear the gleaming white smiles straight in half. Who gave a toss about any of these people's lives? Certainly not her. She was about to turn around and leave the shop when the door flew open, a hassled looking Michelle almost falling over herself in haste to get in.

"Whoa, watch it, you nearly took my door clean off!" Dev cried, his voice gradually climbing higher towards the end of the sentence, a sound that went through Carla like nails on a chalkboard.

"Oh thank God!" The younger woman was panting when she finally reached Carla, taking hold of her hands and giving them a gentle squeeze before moving to cup her face. "Are you okay? I got back to the flat and you weren't there. I woke Ali up but he said he didn't know either and then David said he thought he saw you-"

"Calm down, 'Chelle, I'm fine." She took a step back from her, holding her arms out as if to prove her statement. "I just wanted some magazines."

"You didn't have to come here on your own, I could have got you some. Why didn't you say-"

" _Because I'm not a child, Michelle!"_ The hot anger that flared up in her chest shocked even herself, never mind anyone else in the shop. There was a rattle from the counter as Dev dropped the bag he'd been eating from, having jumped at the sudden outburst. "Everywhere I turn you're just there! Like a flamin' shadow!"

Her tone was harsh and the younger woman dropped back. It might have felt good for a nano second to release the pent up aggression that had sud denly taken over, but Carla found herself instantly regretting her outburst as soon as she saw the way Michelle's face had fallen, she looked so hurt.

"I was just worried when I got back and you weren't there," She whispered, her voice meek, her eyes glazing over with tears. She swallowed, trying to compose herself before speaking again, somewhat shakily. "I...I stopped outside his flat...called your name..."

Carla's heart sank. Of course she had, of course Michelle's first instinct had been panic while hers had been to scream at the person who'd gone above and beyond to take care of her. Clamping her hand over her mouth, she closed her eyes as the guilt squirmed in her stomach, letting out a deep sigh and not even registering the pain it caused.

"Oh, god, I'm sorry." She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Michelle, pulling her close against her frame despite her ribs protesting, her hand coming up to rest on the back of her head where she weaved her fingers through her silky hair. "I'm so sorry, that was awful of me." Inching back, she looked at the other brunettes face, bringing her arms around so she could instead up her cheeks. It was with some relief that she hadn't caused the tears that had been gathered in her eyes to fall, but the hazel pools in front of her still look deeply saddened and it was weighing heavy in her chest knowing that it was her fault.

"I know it must be boring holed up in that flat, I'm sorry if I've been overbearing..." Michelle began, but Carla shook her head, brushing her thumbs over the younger woman's face before leaning forward, lightly touching her forehead against hers.

"No, you haven't. You haven't, 'Chelle. You've been amazing, I don't know what I'd do without you." Her voice was soft, the guilt evident in her tone as she closed her eyes once more, completely appalled at her own behaviour. "I shouldn't have snapped at you, baby."

That seemed to do it; Michelle visibly softened at her words, her tense shoulders suddenly relaxing, a hint of a smile twitching at the corners of her lips. Carla covered them gently with her own, her thumb still stroking over her cheek; Michelle's skin was so soft under her touch, she was so endearing. Despite her previous words, having her close was a comfort that she wasn't sure anything could ever match and it made her feel all the more worse for shouting at her.

"I must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed," She sighed after reluctantly breaking the kiss. "I'm just a moody cow, aren't I? You can leave me if you like." Although it was a joke, the hint of doubt that flashed in her green eyes didn't go unnoticed by the younger woman.

"As if I ever would." The certainty in Michelle's tone gave her butterflies and she had to stifle a laugh. Butterflies, still, at this stage, after over twenty-five years of knowing the woman.

"Am I forgiven?"

"What is there to forgive, darlin'? You've not slept well recently, you're stuck up in that flat and you're recovering from a brain injury; it's going to get to you sometimes. It just makes me want to stick by you all the more, we'll come out of the other side of this together."

Carla forgot for a moment where she was. Or how to breathe. Her own eyes were watery, lips forming a slight pout as she pulled the younger woman close to her once more, reconnecting their lips. How was it that even when she couldn't even work out what was going on in her own head, Michelle seemed to understand? She nudged her nose gently against the younger brunettes, smiling when she kissed the tip of it.

"Will you be making a purchase today, ladies, or did you just come for the change of scenery?"

Michelle rolled her eyes, spinning around to face the shop owner. "Yeah, I came looking for Carla just to declare my undying love to her among the tins of beans and packets of garibaldi's."

"Oh, darlin', you're so romantic." The older woman chuckled, sliding her arm around Michelle's waist and gesturing to the shelves in front of her. "Go on then, what're you having?"

"I didn't come for anything, I just wanted to find you."

"I still feel bad for snapping," Carla sighed, plucking a magazine from the rack and tucking it under her arm. "I will make it up to you."

"Oh, will you?"

"Yeah, come on, I'll buy you some sweeties." She teased, giving the other woman a gentle poke in the side.

"I know what I'd rather have..." Michelle coughed, murmuring so quietly that Carla barely caught it. Her eyes widened, mouth falling open as she turned to face her once more with a wicked grin across her face. Sliding the magazine from under her arm, she used it to gently tap the back of the black denim the younger woman was clad it, both of them giggling.

The door swung open again and the smile slid somewhat off of Michelle's face; she hadn't seen or even spoke to Peter Barlow since tearing a chunk out of him in Roys Rolls. Part of her felt like she should have tried to apologise, but there was a seemingly more dominant half that was stubbornly insisting that he'd deserved it, that she hadn't said anything that wasn't true.

"Hey, it's good to see you out and about. How're you doing?" He flashed Carla a smile, heading straight towards her and ignoring Michelle completely. The obvious coldness between the two didn't escape the older brunette's attention.

"Yeah, I'm okay thanks. How're you?" She offered him a smile back, not even half as wide as the one he'd walked in with.

"Bearing up, its not easy. Have you seen Suzie since?"

Carla looked completely blank.

"Suzie?"

"Yeah since leaving hospital?"

Casting a confused glance at Michelle, whose own unimpressed gaze was focused solely on the man stood between them, she wondered what she was missing.

"Why would I see her?"

"Oh. I just thought- well... she is your niece, after all."

All of the breath left her at once and she turned back desperately to Michelle, wondering why she wasn't thrown by the information.

"She's what?" The words left her lips in a shaky whisper.

Now the younger brunette looked shocked, she exchanged a panicked look with Peter, who looked just as concerned at Carla's sudden amnesia.

"Carla, you knew. You found out the day you ended up in hospital."

The magazine she was holding slipped from her grasp, dropping to the floor and splaying out. A woman on the front cover beamed back up at her, the headline boasting about a new seven day body cleanse, but it was blurred, her head suddenly feeling fuzzy with shock. This has to be a wind-up.

"No..." She shook her head, taking a step back from both Michelle and Peter. "No, that can't be right, I'd remember, I'd know..."

"Carla, I told you and Johnny and then you left to tell Michelle."

"You were coming back to see me, that's when- when Robert..." Michelle swallowed, trailing off, she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. "You remembered all that, you remember telling the police don't you?"

"Yeah, I remember that... I was on my way to see you when he- but I-" Carla closed her eyes, brow furrowing in concentration, her head starting to ache with the effort of trying to recollect anything that might prove what either of them were trying to tell her. "Before that we were...You took me to dinner and Kate told your mum about us. Right?" She felt a spark of hope when Michelle nodded in confirmation, but the worry was still plastered across her face.

"Then after that Johnny messaged you, he wanted you to meet him in the Rovers. That's when I told you that Suzie was really Eva's baby. Eva and Aidan's." Peter spoke gently, moving his arm as if to reach out to her in comfort, but thought the better of it, allowing his hand to fall limply by his side.

"'Chelle..." Green eyes glittered with tears, her voice quiet, desperate as she met the younger woman's eyes, waiting for her to confirm this information too. Unable to trust the man in front of her as far as she could throw him and certainly unable to trust herself, Michelle was the only person she was prepared to listen to. The younger brunette's eyes were solemn as she simply nodded again, not sure she could trust herself to speak without her voice cracking. She should have known, they'd been far too lucky. Carla's lip trembled and she shook her head disbelievingly, suddenly feeling vulnerable.

"I don't remember... why don't I? I should remember something like that-" One of her hands was tangled in her hair, gripping at the roots as she rambled, causing herself more pain and doing absolutely nothing in jogging her memory. Her mind jumped from the bistro, to being in Robert's flat. The last memory she had was his hand wrapped around her neck and a heavy first colliding with her side. She hadn't even realised she'd released a sob, the tears that had gathered in her eyes spilling over her cheeks. How much more of her life was now lost to her? She wouldn't even know...

It seemed the appearance of her tears had broke through what resolve Peter had in refraining from comforting her. He stepped towards her, about to wrap his arm around her when Michelle's incredulous scoff cut through the air; the younger brunette had stepped towards Carla at the exact same moment, effectively blocking him when she placed her own arms around the other woman's trembling frame.

"I've got her."

"I was only- she's upset." Peter tried to defend, holding his hands up as Michelle's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Yeah, I can see that." Michelle snapped, her words harsh but actions soft as she gently pulled Carla's hand from where it was tangled in her hair, instead running her own soothingly over the dark tresses, smoothing it back down. "But she's with me, now, not you."

"I was just trying to help-"

"Then go!" She dismissed him, turning her complete attention back to Carla. Running a gentle hand over her back, she kissed the top of her head, whispering to her. "It's okay, we'll go and speak to Ali, make you an appointment at the hospital."

"No. I want to see Suzie."

"I don't think that's a good idea. You're in shock, darlin'." Michelle sighed, stepping back from their embrace and placing her hands either side of her face; the look of concern still present in her features. "We should really go to the medical centre."

"Not yet. Let me see her first. I promise I'll go straight after but I just want to see her. Please, Michelle? There's a part of Aidan still left in this world..."

Carla's eyes were wide, pleading with her and there was no way she could refuse the other woman when she was looking at her so desperately. With a small, relenting nod, she laced her fingers through the older woman's and gave her hand a gentle squeeze before leading her out of the shop.

The Rovers Return was quiet but the atmosphere seemed thick as they stepped through the door together. Though that was only to be expected, the revelation of Suzie's parentage must have rocked the owners as much as it had the Connor's. Toyah seemed out of it, staring straight ahead as she leaned against the bar, looking straight through the pair. She hadn't even blinked as they approached her.

"Is Eva in?" Michelle asked, bringing the landlady out of her thoughts with a jolt. "We wanted to know if we could-"

"See Suzie?" The woman in question had appeared from the back in a whir of garish pink. She took in the older brunette's demeanour, her eyes were still reddened and it was obvious she'd been crying. After what had happened to her, Eva didn't feel like she could deny her access.

"Come through."

Flipping the hinge on the bar, Michelle sidled around, her hand still gripped in Carla's as she coaxed the other woman through. It was her first time seeing Suzie too, but she wasn't also having to deal with the shock of the news all over again.

"Are you okay?" The tall blonde was staring at Carla with a concerned frown; she looked as though she was about to faint.

"It's kind of just hit her all over again, that's all." Michelle brushed off, feeling that Carla might not want news of her setback broadcasted all over the street, which is was sure to be if Eva found out.

"I'm sorry," She looked guilty as the lead both of the brunettes through to the back room. A Moses basket is was situated in front of the sofa. Michelle felt Carla's grip on her hand tighten when it came into view and she brushed her thumb against her skin reassuringly.

Suzie was sleeping, her tiny hands balled into fists either side of her head, rosebud lips forming a perfect little pout. Michelle's heart leapt to her throat and she swallowed forcefully, glancing across to see how Carla was doing. The other woman still looked lost, a shaky gasp leaving her lips, to quiet to have been heard by Eva, who was leaning over her daughter.

"Hey, gorgeous," she cooed softly, carefully scooping her up, supporting her head as she continued to speak gently. "You've got two visitors here who can't wait to meet you,"

She gestured for one of them to take her and Michelle placed her hand against Carla's back, gently coaxing her forward. But she didn't move, she looked uncertain again, scared almost.

"Go on, darlin', it'll be fine." Michelle encouraged, watching as the other woman lowered herself gingerly to the sofa, pulling a cushion onto her lap to help her support the baby that Eva was lowering into her arms.

"I'll let you both have some time with her. I'll just be through there if you need me."

Eva departed with a small smile, leaving the two women in silence with the sleeping bundle. Carla gazed down at her face, trying to work out which bits of her were like her late brother. She sat stiffly at first, terrified of moving and waking her until Michelle assured her once more, helping her manoeuvre into a more comfortable position for the both of them. The younger woman perched on the edge of the sofa, leaning over Carla's shoulder and running a gentle fingertip over the back of suzie's hand, a sharp tug against her heart when the sleeping infant wrapped four minuscule ones around it.

"It's strange to think I would have known how to do all of this..." Carla murmured, her gaze fixed on the sleeping baby in her arms. She felt Michelle squeeze her shoulder softly, her hand beginning to trail along her arm.

"And you'd have been amazing."

"Even If I'd only been half as amazing as you."

There was a quiet sniff and Carla glanced up in time to see Michelle wiping underneath her eyes. It was bittersweet, her heart felt heavy and light at the same time, she was so touched by the older woman's words.

"Hey..." Unable to reach out to her due to the baby that was cradled in her arms, Carla instead tilted her head upwards, a silent request for Michelle to lean down and meet her, her head now resting lightly against hers. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

They lingered together, Carla nudging her nose softly against the other woman's, both of them taking comfort in being close. The pair were about to kiss when the door was pushed open, Michelle having to bite her tongue as she suddenly felt the urge to comment about Carla having more than one shadow that day.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were here." Peter was itching a cardboard box in his hands, which was very helpfully labelled ' _Peter's stuff'_ in huge capital letters. He'd stopped in his tracks at the intimate scene in front of him; Suzie bundled up with Carla, Michelle perched on the arm of the sofa with her hands around the other brunette, their lips inches apart before he'd disturbed them. There was a sense of irony in the scene, as though he was casting his eye over a life he'd almost had.

It might have been awkward, it should have been, the tension was thick in the room but in spite of it, there was an element of understanding in the air. No matter what had happened between any of them, each person situated in that room had all experienced the loss of a child.

"I'll, uh, start upstairs." He mumbled; he was happy that he wasn't on the receiving end of one of Michelle's ice cold glares for a change but he didn't want to risk lingering around to give her ample opportunity.

"What's the deal with you and him?" Carla frowned after he'd closed the door. If there was any tension, she'd expected it to be between herself and her ex husband, but that was the second time she felt she could have sliced the atmosphere with a knife and neither of those times had felt like it was due to her presence.

Michelle looked sheepish, biting her lip as she cast her eyes down at Suzie, avoiding Carla's.

"I had a bit of a go at him. You were in hospital, I'd had no sleep, he was trying to act all understanding and I just snapped." She let out a gentle sigh, explaining the majority of what had happened between them back when Carla had been unconscious. It was a relief when the older brunette's expression softened, Michelle had been expecting anger again. "I was just terrified, I thought I was losing you."

Carla let out a little hum of sympathy, turning her head and dropping a light kiss on the back of Michelle's hand, which had resumed its position on her shoulder.

"Do you want a cuddle with her?"

 **IXIXIXI**

It had been a relief when Michelle had messaged her to suggest that they met in the Rovers with Kate and Maria after she'd finished with her client. Carla had felt uneasy sat in the flat, staring at the ceiling and trying to force her brain into remembering the moment she found out Suzie was her niece. They'd been to the medical centre the day before but all they could tell her was exactly what Ali had already said; her memory may come back, it may not. Head injuries were complex and differed with each patient. Although she'd been advised not to work herself up and to avoid stress, it was something she'd never been particularly good at. Having never got around to buying any magazines the day before, she'd read and re read the medical leaflets she'd been given cover to cover, even the one about trauma counselling which she had insisted she didn't want, before allowing her mind to stray back to her failing memory.

It was hard to concentrate when her phone had gone off what seemed like every few minutes; Michelle had been so reluctant to leave her and was making up for that by asking her non-stop if she was alright.

' _No, huge earthquake. Being airlifted out as I text.'_

She'd dared to message the younger woman back, but seconds later her phone had rang, which Carla had answered with an eye roll. The younger woman had defended that anything was possible, and had insisted on coming back to Victoria Court to walk her to the Rovers, until Ryan had mentioned going there himself for a drink before his date. He'd taken the phone from his aunt and promised his mother that they'd both meet her there.

"Look at that for timing, how in sync are you both? True soulmates." Ryan teased; Michelle had just stepped out of the taxi as they'd rounded the corner. The younger woman didn't even throw a quip back in his direction, instead wrapping the other brunette in a gentle hug, running her hands down over hair as she stepped back.

"You okay?"

"I will be when I'm sat down with a drink." Carla shook her head, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "Behave fussing."

"Yeah, I'm fine mum, thanks for asking." Ryan huffed, pretending to be annoyed as he followed the pair into the Rovers. "No really, after you, I insist."

"Oh sit down and I'll get the drinks in." Michelle gave him a gentle nudge, nodding over to where Maria and Kate were already sat.

After giving her hand a squeeze, Carla had waited until Michelle had reluctantly released hers before taking a seat next to Ryan, who was instantly taunted by Kate about how 'smart' he looked, the young girl pretending to choke as she goaded him about the amount of aftershave he'd put on.

"Aw, leave him be. He's got a date, tonight." Carla grinned, reaching out to ruffle his hair, chuckling when he let out a groan and hurriedly tried to fix it.

"Can you not?" He huffed, shrinking back from her.

"Well I'm just getting you back for nagging me earlier." Carla smirked, giving him a gentle tap on the shoulder.

"Why was he nagging you?" Michelle frowned curiously, returning to the table with their drinks, sliding a pint across to her son and placing an orange juice in front of Carla.

"I offered to teach her a few chords on the guitar. Thought it might be a good brain exercise," He shrugged.

Michelle's face softened, looking touched at her son's thoughtfulness. Although she was now slightly upset that she'd had to go and meet a client; watching Carla try to learn how to play the guitar was a sight she was sorry to have missed. Listening to Ryan explain to the table how stubborn the older woman had been, it sounded as though it hadn't been that much of a success. He was complaining firstly that she wouldn't hold it right, though Carla argued that he should try position the heavy instrument comfortably against himself with a fractured rib. They bickered about it good-naturedly, with Ryan pointing out that even before he'd taught her anything, she'd managed to somehow snap one of his plectrums at the first strike across the strings.

"And don't get me started on when it was time to actually play the damn thing, she was an absolute nightmare. I've never known anything like it. Clumsy wrists and absolutely shoddy finger work, she's got no rhy-" The rest of his sentence was cut short by a loud splutter, as the three of them on that side of the booth were sprayed with droplets of white wine; at Ryan's words, Kate hadn't been able to contain herself, she'd clamped her hand over her mouth but hadn't been able to stop the snort that had caused her to choke on the liquid she'd taken a seemingly huge mouthful of. There were three loud exclamations, Ryan looking particularly annoyed as he brushed his hand over the minute specks on his shirt.

" _Kate!"_

"Shoddy finger work!" She howled, her face red as her eyes streamed, unable to catch a breath between choking and laughing. "Poor Michelle!"

Finally cottoning onto what she had found so funny, Maria also succumbed to a fit of giggles, apologising profusely through her laughter though it was clear she wasn't the least bit sorry. It seemed the two brunette's were at a loss for words, Carla's mouth hanging open, she hadn't even attempted to brush the droplets of wine that had landed down the front of the navy blouse she was wearing.

It was Ryan she felt sorry for, who now looked ill, his shoulders rising up by his neck as he shuddered, face screwing up in disgust; he rubbed his hand over his forehead, a pained wince escaping his mouth.

"Nope. No way. I'm leaving. I can't deal with this conversation. Snogging on the sofa I can just about forgive, but I don't fancy spending the rest of my life in therapy." He stood abruptly, checking the watch on his wrist before manoeuvring himself out of the booth. It was the first time since he'd arrived that any of them had seen him leave a drink unfinished.

"Well you've traumatised him." Carla informed Kate in a disapproving manner, but the younger brunette was still laughing, wiping at the slight smear of mascara underneath her eyes.

"I did say if you needed some advice..."

"I have extremely adequate skills in that department, thank you very much!" Carla argued, having allowed her younger sister to thoroughly wind her up. "Just because I can't play a flippin' instrument-"

"One that does require a skilled hand-"

"Oh stop teasing her, she might actually have an aneurysm for real." Michelle chuckled; she'd been listening to the conversation in amusement, before finally deciding to jump in and rescue a hassled looking Carla, sliding her arm around the brunette woman. A small smirk across her lips as she spoke. "Don't worry, I've got absolutely no complaints." She pressed a lingering kiss against her cheek but Carla didn't react, sour that Michelle hadn't jumped to her defence sooner.

"Well I haven't had to buy you anything to spice things up like when you were with Steve, so we can't be doing too bad?" Carla shrugged, looking somewhat unenthusiastically at the fruit juice in front of her. It probably wasn't a good idea to be mixing alcohol with the painkillers she was on, but that didn't stop her missing the odd glass; especially when the two women sat opposite her nursing generous glasses of wine.

"You did what?" Kate grimaced, while Maria leaned in closer, eager for more of the gossip.

"She bought me... well, lingerie of the racy sort."

"Hang on, hang on." Kate cut in, looking puzzled. "You went into a store or online or wherever. You looked at all this raunchy underwear and the first thought that entered your head was 'Michelle would look good in this'?" She exchanged a glance with Maria, who was looking even more excited with the new information; both of them turned to look at Carla obviously, waiting for the other woman to catch on.

"Well. When you say it like that, it sounds..." She began in a murmur, looking down once more at the orange juice she had clasped in her hands, suddenly very interested in the rim of her glass. Carla could already feel the heat colouring her cheeks.

"...like you secretly had the hots for Michelle years ago." Kate finished for her sister, a bemused grin across her face as she and Maria descended into laughter once more at her expense.

"No, I never!" Carla protested, stuttering over her words. "Oh wipe that look off your face, you." She whined, reaching out and giving Michelle a light dig with her elbow.

The younger brunette had been staring at her, eyebrows raised with the smuggest smirk she'd ever seen plastered across her face, delighting in how Carla's own was flushed pink.

"I was just trying to be nice, you know, helping out a friend." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh yeah I bet you really wanted to give her a helping hand."

The comment from Kate caused another eruption of laughter from the table, even Carla couldn't stop the smile tugging at the corner of her lips, though she was still pretending to be mad at the three of them. It felt good to laugh, to be sat with her family, joking lightheartedly. There was still so much going on and that was without Robert on the run. If he had run off, she couldn't see him turning up, especially with the whole of the street on the lookout for him; the biggest bunch of curtain twitchers Carla ever knew. No, he wouldn't be able to slip back up to Victoria Court without being seen. It was hard to feel too worried in that moment with Michelle's arm wrapped securely around her waist, her lips against the side of her head as she tried to make up for allowing the other two to torment her. Finally relenting, she turned her head and kissed her properly, bringing her hand up to rest against her cheek.

"And on that note, I think it's time I went to collect Liam." Maria sighed, gathering her bag from beside her and throwing the strap over her shoulder. "I can't stay here a second longer being reminded just how extremely single I am." She joked, bidding the three women goodbye as she too departed from the pub. Kate was silent for a few moments, before she slammed her hands down on the table and leant forward dramatically, lowering her voice.

"Seriously if you need a few pointers-"

"Right if you don't pack it in, I'm going to rethink my generosity and you won't get your present."

That sparked the younger Connor's attention, Carla could practically see her ears prick as she sat up properly, regarding her sister curiously.

"What present?"

A small smile crossed the older brunette lips and she dug around in her bag, pulling out a folded piece of paper and handing it to her sister. Kate eye'd her suspiciously, before dropping against the backrest and unfolding the page, her eyes widening as she scanned the document before her.

"This is the hotel I was telling Maria about when we had that meal!" She gasped, her dark eyes lighting up as she took in the booking confirmation written across the sheet. "Are you serious?"

"Oh, deadly. Take Rana and get yourselves away for a couple of nights."

Her smile widened as she watched her sister let out a shriek of delight, standing up and stretching across the table to pull Carla into a hug. "But why?"

"If it wasn't for you and Ryan, I'd probably have more than just memory issues." She murmured, sinking back into Michelle's hold after Kate had let her go. She glanced up at the younger woman, offering her a slightly sheepish smile. "Don't worry, once I'm fully recovered, I'm taking the both of us away from here."

 **IXIXIXI**

"No! Stop, please!"

Michelle leapt from the pillow, quickly feeling around for the switch and illuminating the room in a dim, red-toned light. It was become a regularly occurrence, each night usually panning out the same. She was used to it now, knew what to do for the best. Though her own face was pale, the purple under her eyes deepening each time she shouted awake by the cries of the other woman, she fell back against the headboard and pulled the quivering woman into her lap, cradling her against her chest.

It must have been a particularly violent nightmare, the trembling brunette was damp with sweat, the nightshirt she'd fallen to sleep in sticking to her back, discolouration on the sheets she'd perspired against. They were bunched up enough that the bare mattress underneath had been revealed, it was unbelievable that Michelle had managed to sleep through until the point where she'd cried out.

"Shh, I've got you," Michelle whispered, continuing to murmur soothingly to her as she stroked over her hair, rubbed circles against her back.

The sobs that tore from her throat also tore straight through her heart. Having been plagued with the odd dream herself, mostly of being back at the hospital only this time being told they hadn't been able to save her, Michelle couldn't imagine the horrors Carla's mind was conjuring as she slept. There was a clatter from behind the door and Ryan burst through it, brandishing the tv remote from his room that was acting as his makeshift weapon. He'd been half asleep when he'd heard Carla shout as though being attacked.

"What's happened? Are you okay?" His defensive stance dropped, the remote hanging from his hand when he realised the cause of the noise. The older brunette had turned her head when the door had flown open, her eyes red; a mixture of upset and exhaustion. Tears were clinging to her eyelashes, which had clumped together, her face flushed and cheeks wet.

"Ry, we'll be fine," Michelle assured him, her own voice croaky with sleep. Her son gave a small nod, reaching out to place a hesitant hand on Carla's shoulder.

"The door's locked, I've put the chain and the bolt on. No one can get in..."

His aunt couldn't quite manage a smile, but it seemed she'd heard him. After murmuring a quiet goodnight to Michelle, he left the room and she reached across to grab the water and painkillers that they'd taken to keeping next to the bed.

"Can you sit up for a second, sweetheart?"

She was still shaking, but was able to pull herself reluctantly from Michelle's chest, accepting the medication from her. The shooting pain in her side had barely registered, the prickle of fear had taken over all of her senses. Now her heart was calming down, she was starting to feel the effect of having thrashed about in the sheets. They were her new ones, effective in keeping her headaches at bay but making her susceptible to drowsiness and it seemed every time she closed her eyes, she was back in Robert's flat, terrified for her life. Her teeth chattered against the rim of the glass as she took a few, awkward gulps of water, finding it difficult to swallow it down which caused her to choke on pills that became stuck in her throat. The coughing fit only caused more pain and, in her state of fear and exhaustion, she let out a dry sob, dropping back against Michelle who wasted no time in securing her arms back around her trembling frame. She was struggling to shake it from her might, a tight fist of terror still clenched around her heart.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Michelle spoke softly, her fingertips lightly massaging against her scalp.

"It's never going to end is it? Not while he's still out there. They might never find him." The dread in her tone was evident, her voice breaking as she shook her head, trying to rid herself of the image in her head.

"He will be found and he'll be put away." Michelle spoke firmly, fiercely determined that Robert was going to pay for what he'd done to Carla. "The police know what they're doing, his face is all over the papers. He won't be able to come near you again."

"It's not just me I'm scared for." Carla raised her head from where she'd been laid against the other woman, meeting her eyes, her lower lip trembling. "I'm terrified he'll hurt you." She was crying again, though she tried to swipe her hand across her face, only then taking in Michelle's. Even in the dim light, it was easy to make out the redness in her eyes, slightly grey tone to her face, the deep purple beneath her eyes looked almost bruising. She'd been spending her days looking after Carla, chasing clients, and her nights being kept awake because of her. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry. God, look at you, you're exhausted and I'm-"

"Hey, no, don't you dare apologise. Come here," She held her arms out, gesturing for her to position herself back in her lap. The position was one Carla seemed to take frequently, leaning against her front with her head nestling in the crook of her neck where she could breathe in the comforting scent of her. The sense of safety he younger woman's hold provided her with was working to slow the rapid thumping of her heart, a wave of welcome calm sweeping over her frame and erasing the sting of fear as she took a slow breath. "Listen to me, Carla. You've just been through this horrendous ordeal and you're sat feeling guilty because I'm doing the one thing that I'm supposed to do. I love you, I want to look after you, so let me and don't feel bad for it..."

"He wouldn't let me go." She finally whispered, giving Michelle insight to what had caused her to wake up screaming in terror. "He just... he kept on hitting-saying you were his..."

"I'm yours."

"You don't belong to anyone, 'Chelle. You're your own amazing person."

"Carla, I'm _yours."_ Michelle insisted, reaching out to hold her cheek, coaxing the woman to look at her. "I want to be, I'm proud to be."

The other brunette's eyes grew glassy once more as she stretched up, giving her a gentle kiss, before nuzzling back into her. They remained quiet, Michelle's hand stroking lazy patterns over Carla's arm, the light sensation relaxing her further. It was only when Carla murmured that she felt 'icky' that Michelle, with a small laugh at the other woman's choice of words, sat them both up.

"Tell you what, then," She whispered, tucking a strand of chestnut hair behind her ear; Carla's hair still felt somewhat damp. "Why don't you go and have a soak and I'll change the sheets? Then we can try and get a few more hours sleep."

Nodding in response, Carla began to pull herself away from the younger woman, though kept hold of her hand as she stood herself upright, still feeling slightly off balance. Even though Michelle had insisted she wouldn't have had it any other way, she was still grateful for her support, amazed that despite anyone's attempts to stop it, all that had resulted was that Carla had fallen just that little bit more in love with her. Placing a fingertip beneath the younger woman's chin, she gently tilted her face and dipped down, relishing the way Michelle's supple lips enveloped her own, the way her fingertips glided elegantly down her cheek as she pulled away.

Michelle waited until the other woman had disappeared into the bathroom, before rolling over and reaching underneath the bed, feeling around until her fingers clasped around a small, hard box. Extracting it, she flipped the lid and stroked her fingertip over the white-gold band, vivid against the deep navy velvet it was nestled in. The ring was adorned with one singular diamond in the middle, large enough so that it reflected even the sliver of light emitting from the lamp. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath; each day that had gone by since she'd bought it, she was questioning exactly which 'right' moment she was waiting for. It caused a swirl of nervous excitement in the pit of her stomach, but her mind kept throwing up so many of the worst scenarios, placing doubts in her head that she should have know better than to listen to.

"'Chelle?" Carla called out from the bathroom, causing her to jump and snap the box shut, hastily placing it back under the bed. She pushed herself up from the bed, having made no attempt what so ever in changing the sheets and walked over to the doorway, leaning against the frame. The older brunette seemed content enough, she was sat back in the water with her eyes closed, dark hair spilling down over her shoulders.

"What's up, baby?"

Her eyes fluttered open, suddenly wide and endearing, her lips forming a small pout.

"Will you get in with me?"

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay, I was hit with the worst writers block but luckily I've got a good idea of what I want to happen next so I'm hoping it'll help to combat that! I think because I've been struggling, this is probably a shorter chapter than usual but I figured something would be better than nothing! I hope it's okay. Thank you to everyone who has left reviews and stalked my Twitter (; I really appreciate it!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Tw: Graphic description of violence and explicit scenes.**

"What's up with you?"

Carla was sat at the kitchen table, she'd slammed the pen against the notebook she was writing on and let out a groan, looking irritable.

"My arm is itching." She huffed, seizing hold of the biro once more and trying to wedge it between her skin and the cast that encased it.

"You're not supposed to do that," Michelle warned, though was met with the content sigh from the older brunette, who had completely ignored her and finally managed to relieve the itch that had been distracting her from writing.

Satisfied and comfortable, she flipped the page over and continued to scribble against the lined paper, pausing for a second to chew thoughtfully on the tip of the plastic lid, rolling it between her fingertips.

"Er, that's my pen you're slobbering all over. I used to hate it when people did that when I worked at the bookies." The younger brunette shuddered, wrinkling her nose as Carla met her eyes with a bemused expression across her face, once eyebrow arching.

"I'll give you a second to apply a bit of logic to that sentence."

"What?"

"Well, it's not like you don't know where my mouth has been." She smirked, dragging her eyes pointedly along the length of Michelle's frame, running the tip of her pointed tongue against the edge of her teeth for effect. "I'm not allowed to chew your pen but you don't mind me having a nibble on-"

"Alright, alright! That's enough! Let me get out of the door first."

Carla flashed a guilty looking smile at Ryan, who had come out of his room fully dressed, looking somewhat hungover but his guitar bag slung determinedly over his shoulder. Apparently he was going for a practice session with his band. He left the flat with a backwards wave in their direction. Michelle was slightly pink in the cheeks as she carried a bowl over to the kitchen table, setting it down in front of Carla with a pleased little grin across her face.

"Aww... What's this rubbish?" The older brunette winced, peering curiously into the bowl. Michelle's mouth fell open in offence, she'd arranged the blueberries on top of her porridge in a heart shape, finished off with a sprinkle of crushed walnuts.

"It's good for your brain and your kidney."

"What is, cat sick?" She quipped, though picked up a spoon and dunked it unceremoniously into the bowl, giving the younger woman a playful little nudge. An undeniable rush of affection had spread through her at the other woman's care, how had she only just began to appreciate what she'd been doing for her this whole time?

Much to her surprise, it wasn't actually as bad as she was anticipating and it had to be healthier than her usual three strong coffee's that lined her stomach first thing in the morning. Busy occupying herself with her breakfast, she didn't notice that Michelle was peering over at the notebook she'd been writing in. Smirking, Carla slammed her uninjured hand down against the white page, covering the writing and causing the other woman to jump.

"Nosey!"

"What're you writing?"

"A love letter to Brian Packham."

"You're not funny." Michelle huffed, rolling her eyes and gently prodding the side of Carla's hand, urging the woman to remove it from the paper.

"I'm writing down everything I'm doing," she shrugged, chewing carefully as she picked the pen back up, scanning down the list of bullet points. "I don't want to forget..."

With a softened expression, the younger woman's head tilted as she met Carla's gaze, offering her a warm smile. Reaching out, she placed her hand over the top of the older brunettes, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It'll come back to you, don't worry. And hey, you've remembered everything else so far."

"As far as we know," Carla corrected, waving the pen in her direction. "I can't exactly know what I've forgotten if I've forgotten it."

Plucking the pen from her fingertips, somewhat out of fear that Carla was about to take out her eye, Michelle added a bullet point to the end of the list, her letters neat and even. When she'd finished she turned the notepad back towards Carla.

' _9:07: Kiss Michelle.'_

Green eyes swivelled to the clock on the wall, she was unable to stop the smile tweaking the corners of her lips.

"So you don't mind my mouth, now?"

Michelle shook her head, grinning as she moved closer to her, the tip of the other woman's finger resting on her chin to coax her close until they met in a soft kiss, both of them lingering for a moment. When they pulled back, Carla reached out and brushed her thumb against Michelle's cheek, sighing when she moved over the purple shadows under the younger woman's eyes.

"You look tired, 'Chelle," She murmured, biting her lip when the guilt began to creep up on her.

"I'm fine," The younger woman insisted, offering her a reassuring smile. "Although, you know, if you wanted us both to sleep better, maybe you could think about..." She trailed off, her eyes flickering over to the medical leaflets that were piled on the kitchen counter.

A groan sounded from Carla's mouth and she shook her head in defiance. "No, I've told you I don't need any of that. Look, it was the same after Tony and... and Frank. The dreams go away on their own in time." She glanced down at her bowl to avoid Michelle's eyes as she continued. "If you want, I can ask Roy if I can stay there for a night or two, let you have some proper rest." Even as she said it, the dread settled in the pit of her stomach. The thought of waking up in the states she had been and not having the other woman beside her wasn't an experience she wanted to suffer, but she would if it meant Michelle got a full eight hours.

Before she'd even finished the sentence, Michelle was on her feet, shaking her head. She sidled around the back of Carla's seat and slipped her arms around her, leaning forward until her lips were by her ear.

"You know that's not what I meant," she murmured, kissing the side of her head. "I don't want you to do anything of the sort, I'm just worried about you, darlin'."

Carla brought her hand up to rest over where Michelle's were clasped around her front, stroking her thumb over the back of hers. "I'll be okay, I promise."

"I need to go and get dressed, finish your breakfast okay?" She pressed a swift kiss against Carla's cheek, about to depart for the bedroom when a harsh knocking sounded through the apartment. They both froze, the older brunette had jumped slightly at the noise. Michelle's eyes swivelled nervously to the door, heart in her throat.

"Ali's got keys..."

The door hadn't been bolted, they'd completely forgotten to after Ryan had left and Michelle's stomach twisted with nerves as she took a step towards the door, hoping that her son had had the sense to lock it from the outside after he'd left. Whoever was behind the door knocked again and Michelle took a shaky step towards it, mentally scolding herself for being so stupid. If it was anyone unwanted, it was likely that by now they'd have barged in regardless.

"Michelle," Carla whispered her name, sounding terrified; she hadn't even been able to leave her seat, her knuckles white with the force of the grip she had on the spoon that was still in her hand.

"It's okay, it won't be him." Michelle assured her, though her chest still fluttered with anxiety when she reached the door. It intensified greatly when she pulled it open and found two police officers stood in front of her, her mind instantly jumping to worst case scenario's.

At the appearance of them, Carla had jumped up from her seat, the relief that had washed over her being extremely short lived at the sight of their sombre faces. She recognised one of them as the woman who'd interviewed her in hospital, but the blood was pounding in her ears and she missed her male colleagues name, who flashed his badge at Michelle as he introduced himself and Officer Parkes. Michelle moved to the side, allowing them to step through and Carla sidled over to her; the younger woman automatically slid her arm around her frame, holding her protectively against her side.

"We're sorry to disturb you so early, but there's been a development we need to make you aware of." The woman informed them both, exchanging a pitying glance with the policeman next to her. "Someone called to report a sighting of a man in the area who matched Mr Preston's description."

"What? Where?" Michelle gasped, her eyes widening in horror; never in a million years had she expected the man would he stupid enough to return even within a ten mile radius of Weatherfield.

"Near the viaduct, but we've got an Officer situated by his flat and we'll be doing patrols of the area-"

"That's not enough! What if he slips past you?" Carla's sudden outburst rang around the room, Michelle could feel her shaking. She suddenly knew exactly what was running through the other woman's head.

"Hey, look at me," Michelle turned to face her properly, lightly cupping her face. "It's a completely different situation-"

"Is it?" Carla cut across her, looking hysterical. "Some nutter on the loose who I dobbed in to the police? I doubt he's come back for one last final hot pot!"

"Like we said, it isn't been confirmed that this man was Mr Preston, it was a man who matched his description. That doesn't necessarily mean-"

"Of course it was him!" It seemed Carla wasn't prepared to listen to reasoning, her green eyes were sparkling with tears. "He nearly killed me and he's come back to finish the job, or worse, he's come back to hurt-"

Sliding her arms around the older brunette, Michelle carefully pulled her into a safe hug, wrapping both of her arms securely around her shaking form, rubbing her back comfortingly with one hand while the other stroked over the back of her hair. She threw an apologetic glance at the two officers by her door.

"I'm sorry, she's been through a lot."

"Of course," They nodded in understanding, the woman throwing a sympathetic smile in Carla's direction. "If you're concerned about anything, don't hesitate to contact us. In the mean time, be vigilant."

They saw themselves out and Michelle let go of Carla so she could lock the door, sliding across the bolt and chain even after she'd locked it with the keys. Carla was rooted to the spot, dark hair that was still mussed up from sleep framing her pale face; she looked tiny, bundled up in one of Michelle's cosy dressing gowns with her arms crossed over herself, her tired eyes still teary. The younger woman's heart broke for her. Making her way back towards her, she gently unwound her tightly folded arms and took both of her hands, squeezing the one that wasn't encased in plaster.

"Look at me..." She whispered, waiting until mossy green eyes has swivelled to meet hers before continuing. "I'm here, his time. That's the difference. You've got me."

Carla gave a small nod, stepping closer so she could wrap her arms around the other brunette, nuzzling into the crook of her neck. She took a deep, steadying breath, willing herself to calm down. With the door locked, police scouring the area and not even a true confirmation that Robert was at all in Weatherfield, she managed to calm herself down.

"You're right, I'm being daft. There's no way he'll be able to get to us."

Michelle smiled warmly at her, brushing a gentle fingertip down her cheek before rummaging in her pocket for her mobile.

"What're you doing?"

"Cancelling my meeting with Lydia."

"Who?"

"A client," Michelle groaned, rolling her eyes. "One major bridezilla. I feel sorry for the woman marrying her." She shuddered, even as she scrolled to find her number, she could almost hear the screech of her voice in her ear, one that seemed at least three decibels higher than it should be. That alone could put anyone off.

"No, wait. You should go..." Carla suddenly decided, plucking the phone from her hands to stop her proceeding any further. "It's your business. Don't cancel it because of me."

"I'm not leaving you!" Michelle gasped, even the notion of it was ridiculous. "No way!"

Carla glanced towards the door, biting her lip. "Look, Ali will be home soon. I won't be on my own. We'll keep the door locked and I'll text you all the time."

The younger woman shook her head, only realising in that second how on edge the situation seemed to have made her. She'd been fine when she'd needed to be strong for Carla, but the thought of leaving her caused panic to burn in her chest. Even if she wanted to, she knew she wouldn't be able to step out of that door without her.

"No. I can't-" She broke off, closing her eyes. Carla had barely recovered, if it was him, if he somehow did get to her again, maybe this time they wouldn't be as lucky. Her stomach lurched as her mind played the unwanted scene before her eyes, back in the hospital, the smell of bleach stinging her nose, mournful looking doctors informing her that they'd done everything they can. She'd already nearly lost Carla more times than she'd ever tried to count until now; Tony, her attempts to take her own life, the burglary at the bistro, the bus crash, the fire, kidney failure, all the times she'd left Weatherfield and for some insane reason returned to the tiny town that had brought her nothing but doom, only to be attacked and left for dead by one of Michelle's damaged ex's. The list mounted up rapidly in her mind, her heart didn't even feel like it was beating anymore, it was going so fast her she could feel is shaking her entire frame. How many more near-misses were left before the world decided to steal her away for good? She couldn't let that happen.

"'Chelle?" Carla had placed her hands either side of the younger brunette's face when her eyes had seemed to glaze over, still looking at her but seeing straight through her, completely spaced out. She spoke softly, running gentle fingertips down her cheek until Michelle had blinked slowly, hazel eyes coming back into focus. "Hey, where did you go?"

Michelle swallowed, moisture gathering at the corners of her eyes as she took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. Her voice was shaking as she spoke, barely a whisper.

"Don't make me leave you."

In silent understanding, she embraced the younger brunette, nodding against her shoulder as they held one another tightly. "Okay...it's okay I won't. Why don't I come with you?"

 **IXIXIXI**

"You did well holding your tongue. I thought you were going to say something when she was on about transport." Michelle laughed, walking down the street with her hand laced through Carla's. After the panic that morning, she'd agreed to let the other woman accompany her to the meeting, under the pretence that Carla was planning to go into the business herself and wanted to know what it entailed. She'd actually been quite a big help, they'd gone through different menu options together for the brides big day and Lydia had been immensely impressed with Carla's classy suggestions, especially when she'd explained which different wine options would be best with each course. They'd looked through the list of caterers together and the older brunette had even given her one of her own personal contacts, telling her that if she dropped her name into the conversation, they'd be sure to shave a little off the price.

It was only when Michelle's client had asked the younger woman how she was getting on with finding her preferred transport to ferry her to the fancy estate house where she was actually getting married that she'd felt Carla tense, and had thrown her hand on her knee beneath the table. Luckily, the older woman hadn't spoke, but her brows had all but disappeared beneath her hairline.

"A pink carriage and horses, though?" Carla had exclaimed in disbelief when they were safely back on the street; they were heading towards the Bistro, feeling that they should make sure Kate was doing okay after the morning's developments. "Is it a wedding or a prom? Oh, it'll be a surprise alright. I wish I was invited just to I could see what's-her-face's name? The poor sod she's getting spliced with?"

"Kathryn, I think." Michelle grinned as Carla rolled her eyes. She hadn't seen the other woman as excited in a long time, it had done her good to get out of the flat, Michelle knew she'd liked feeling useful again. In fact it had done them both the world of good. They'd only had to stop in town once, sitting down for half an hour with a coffee while Carla had taken her pain medication and waited for them to kick in.

"I'm sure it'll definitely be the wedding of her dreams. But you know those dreams have a certain type of name; they're called nightmares." Carla's time was snippy, but she had the biggest grin across her face. It felt as though things were as they'd been before, slagging off clients and having lunch dates with Michelle, laughing together. She'd almost forgotten the morning had ever happened. The factory had come into view and she bit her lip slightly, tilting her head to the side as she regarded the building, wondering what was happening in there. She could hazard a guess; she'd put money on Beth's voice being the loudest, too busy gabbing with her hands frozen at the machine. She felt Michelle squeeze her hand gently, effectively putting a stop to her train of thought.

"It must be so hard for you," The younger brunette sighed, following her line of sight. "I promise, after all this has settled down, whatever the outcome of Aidan's inquest; I'll help you get that place back. Okay? It's not the end."

Carla was touched at the determination in her voice and, with Michelle firmly on her side, she was starting to feel dangerously hopeful herself. Turning on the spot, she stretched up and pressed a gentle kiss against the other woman's lips, the soft warmth of them suddenly drowning out all of the outside noise, the chatter from passers by in the steer, the occasional squawk of a pigeon, the faint sirens in the background...

An almighty crash sounding from the Bistro caused them to fly apart, three figures stumbling from the building.

"Now come on, don't be so stupid!" It seemed like a strange sentence coming from the mouth of Steve McDonald.

"You can't run from them, you're making in worse. Hand yourself in." Daniel was on the other side, both of them had hold of the third man between them, fistfuls of a grey hoodie grasped between their clenched hands. The man between them was struggling to much that the hood covering his face slipped down.

Carla let out a terrified gasp, her hands instantly flying around Michelle.

"They said it wasn't him."

It would have been hard to tell, he looked almost unrecognisable. Sallow skinned, in desperate need of a shave, a swollen cut beneath his eye causing a squint; his face was somewhat hollow, the stark white of his hair and skin causing the purple beneath his eyes to jump out. He looked like a corpse. But it was definitely him. Daniel and Steve were both struggling to keep hold of him, he was trying to twist from their grip, desperate to flee from the street once more.

"No. No chance. He's not getting away again." Michelle growled, her teeth gritting together. She didn't feel scared, that's what shocked her the most.

"Michelle, _no!"_

It was too late. She'd broke free from Carla's grasp and tore across the street, throwing herself at her ex fiancé with so much force that they both fell to the ground, the shock of it causing the other two men to have dropped him. Heart pounding in her chest, her body shook with rage, the adrenaline making her almost dizzy. It was such an intense hatred that burned through her body, an I uncontrollable wildfire of fury that made her skin spark. She raised her hand and brought her first down hard against his face, blood splashing across her knuckles when it crashed into his mouth. He let out a groan, trying to push her from him but she was relentless, continuing to rain down on him with heavy hands, hurting every part of him she could reach.

"How could you!" She screamed, ignoring the intense throbbing in her knuckles as they connected with the her muscle beneath his stomach; she was vaguely aware of someone trying to grip her waist to pull her back but she gripped onto Robert harder, her hand wrapping itself around his neck. "You're a waste of air!"

Carla was frozen, her eyes wide and full of tears, hands clasped over her mouth. She couldn't help even if she'd have been able to, the stress of the situation causing her head to throb and reminding her exactly why she wouldn't have been able to pull Michelle off of the now cowering man. He wasn't even attempting to fight back. The sirens that had been distant now sounded closer. A familiar scream caught Carla's attention and she looked up to see Kate running towards her, the young girl wrapping her arms around her trembling frame when she reached her.

"He was in the cellar!" She gasped, a protective hold around her sister as they watched Daniel try and fail to pull Michelle away from Robert once more. His face had changed from ghostly white to red as she struggled for breath, Michelle's grip on his throat had tightened. "What's she doing? Someone get her off of him!"

"Yeah I am trying!" Daniel bellowed back, letting out a wince when the other woman's sharp elbow connected with his side.

"Don't touch me, Daniel, I don't want to hurt you." Michelle growled, a cruel smirk crossing her lips as she watched the man beneath her struggle to air. "It's not nice is it?" She hissed, almost nose to nose with him. "You're a pathetic coward!"

The sirens were now deafening, two police cars and a van flying around the corner and screeching to a halt outside the Bistro.

"Mum! What the hell are you doing?" Carla couldn't see where he'd come from, but she was immensely grateful she had as Ali ran towards where Michelle was still trying to hit every part of Robert she could reach, even as he turned a dangerous shade of purple. The Doctor grasped his mother around the waist and tried to pull her off, soon joined by an officer who was instructing her to let the man go. "Don't be stupid, mum!"

"He nearly killed Carla! He deserves nothing less!" She felt herself being lifted into the air, but managed to kick out and catch Robert in the side as she was physically removed from him. There was a ringing in her ears, she could barely see, the rage that coursed through her suddenly made her wonder if this is close to how the man had felt when he'd lost control.

"Mrs Connor if you don't cooperate we will have to arrest you."

"It's _Miss_ Connor, I'm not married yet." Michelle spat, furious that she'd been stopped from causing further damage to Robert, who was being helped to his feet and consequently into handcuffs.

"Yet?" His voice was weak, but the distaste in his tone was evident. He caught Michelle's eyes properly for the first time; nothing but hatred burned between them. "You're not thinking about marrying that car crash, are you? You're heading towards disaster."

Overcome with a strength she didn't know she had, she managed to tear herself from the Police Officer's firm hold and lunged at him once more with a scream of rage. "The only disaster I came close to marrying was you!"

The Police Man who had cuffed Robert was beginning to pull him away from her onslaught, but she grasped hold of his collar and tugged him forward, managing to deliver a firm knee to his groin before she was seized once more.

"I could kill you. Part of me even thinks I might, if I didn't have anything to lose. But I do. Because you see my love for her is infinitely stronger than my hatred for you. You'll rot in hell!"

"Alright, you were warned!" It was Officer Parkes who had grabbed hold of her this time, even as she struggled to aim another kick at the man who as now groaning in pain on the floor, his eyes screwed up against the agony. "Michelle Connor, I am arresting you for assault _and_ obstructing arrest."

Far from being scared, she threw her head back and laughed manically, willingly holding her arms out to the officer. " _Obstructing arrest?"_ She cried, throwing a backwards glance at her ex fiancé. "You can have him! I just wanted to hand him a little leaving present."

There was quite a crowd gathered on the street now, some even expressing their outrage at her arrest, but she didn't care. Nothing seemed to be able to quell the satisfaction that spread through her body, the throb of her knuckles giving her a thrill that she'd managed to return a little of what Robert had put them through. Well, nothing until she caught sight of Carla, who was wrapped up in Kate's arms with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Wait, let me just-"

"I need you to get in the car."

"You can't arrest her!" Kate cried in frustration, watching them coax Michelle towards the car in disbelief. "You know what that man did!"

"Yes I know how to get into a car, thanks!" The brunette woman snapped, shrugging off the officer who had attempted to push her down into it. Heart sinking in her chest, she threw a deeply apologetic glance over to Carla, her eyes softening, the rage that had darkened them had melted away.

"I'm so sorry."

The police van that contained Robert was already speeding off and the older brunette watched in dismay as the car in which Michelle was sat drove around the corner.

"I can't believe this..." Carla whispered, squeezing her eyes shut as though hoping it was just a horrible dream she was trapped in. Kate's hand was stroking over the back of her hair, the pair stood together in shock at what had just happened. At a complete loss of what to do, she was relieved when Ali and Steve jogged over to them, the latter pulling keys from his pocket.

"Right come on, I'll take you all down to the station."

"Someone needs to let Ryan know."

"I'll do it," Ali volunteered, giving the three a reassuring smile. "We'll follow you on."

 **IXIXIXI**

Michelle stepped out of the room she'd just been caution in, in utter exhaustion. The adrenaline had left her body and she'd suddenly not felt very clever at all; embarrassed and a little ashamed by her actions. How could she have gone and got herself arrested? How much of an example was that to set? She'd been almost as bad as him. Nursing her sore knuckles, she stepped out into the reception area to wait for her belongings to be handed back to her.

"Oi!"

She whipped around, her heart sinking. Carla looked furious as she raced towards her, a wince leaving her lips when she realised that the older brunette was accompanied by both of her sons, Kate _and_ Steve. Humiliation coloured her cheeks, her shoulders sagging.

"You flamin' _idiot,_ Michelle Connor!" Carla had given the woman a small shove, barely hard enough to jolt her, before throwing her arms around her, pulling her back close. "What were you thinking?"

Surprised but relieved at the older brunette's unexpected reaction, she welcomed the embrace, squeezing Carla as tight as she dared to without fear of causing her any pain.

"I wasn't," Michelle's voice was muffled against Carla's jacket.

"I'm so mad at you, you know?"

Stepping back, Carla reached up to cup her cheeks, brushing her thumb lightly over her skin. Mirroring her actions, the younger woman's eyes filled when they lingered on the tear tracks that marred her face; she'd been terrified and instead of staying with her, she'd run off and left her. The guilt stirred once more in her stomach and she closed her eyes, letting out a shaking sigh.

"I know, I'm sorry. I should have been there for you-"

"Not for that! For putting yourself in danger. God, 'Chelle, you need to promise me you won't do anything like that again."

Nodding earnestly, Michelle took Carla's hands in her own as sorry, hazel eyes met the disapproving green in front of her. "I won't. I promise. I'm sorry." She whispered, lower lip trembling until the older brunette rolled her eyes and dipped forward, capturing it between her own.

She wasn't really too mad at the younger woman, how could she be? It had been heart stopping, watching her throw herself at such an unpredictable and dangerous man, but the way the fear had melded to fury when her ex fiancé had previously reduced her to a terrified mess; she'd shown a strength that Carla had always known she'd had inside her. Michelle really was unstoppable when it came down to standing up for the people she loved. Her words were ringing in her ears, a thought she couldn't push out of her mint. She'd said she wasn't married, yet. _Yet._ Did that mean...? Carla couldn't even contemplate the thought, focusing instead on the here and now; which was that Michelle was safe in her arms, Robert was locked away in a cell and finally, it seemed like it was the beginning of the end of a horrific ordeal.

The clearing of a throat ended their kiss and Michelle accepted the clear bag that was being handed to her from the Sergeant on reception. She thanked him and could have sworn he'd given her a very slight smile; apparently the police force weren't completely against women standing up to men who bullied them.

"For the record, mum, from what Ali told me I think you were brilliant." Ryan was grinning over Kate's shoulder, throwing her a thumbs up.

"That's a reassuring sign, you thinking I did the right thing." Michelle smirked sarcastically, emptying her mobile phone and flat keys from the plastic she'd just been handed and depositing them in her handbag, securing it over her shoulder.

"I'd have done the same, too." Kate shrugged. "I feel sick knowing he'd been hiding in the cellar all this time. I dared Daniel to go down there for more wine because I didn't want to come face to face with spiders. I'll never fear spiders again after this."

"So, he'd been there since he attacked Carla?" Michelle frowned, slipping her arm around the older brunette as they started to make their way outside. A light breeze caught her hair and she took a deep breath, feeling that she was finally able to breathe properly.

"I think so. There was a sleeping bag in the corner. You know, Daniel said he thought food had been going missing. I told him he was losing it. I feel terrible."

"It's not your fault, Kate. In fact no one's at fault at all for anything he's done aside from his." Carla had thrown in the last part for Michelle's benefit, she didn't need her to speak out to know that she would probably be listing off in her head everything she thought she'd done to make things worse. The younger woman offered her a grateful smile, lacing their fingers together and giving her hand a gentle squeeze. When Carla returned it and mouthed the words 'love you', she'd been unable to stop herself from stopping in her tracks, dipping down for another kiss. Carla responded softly, brushing a reassuring hand through Michelle's silky hair, her thumb stroking over the edge of her ear and grazing over her jaw.

"Right I'm meeting someone in town, so I'll love you and leave you all," Ryan grinned, slipping his phone into his pocket whilst looking pleased with himself. Shaking his head, he reached out to flick Steve on the shoulder. "Ey, soft lad, go and get your car for these lot!"

Having been watching the two women's affectionate embrace with seemingly great interest, he was jolted back to planet Earth with a jump and a stutter, fumbling in his pocket for keys as he ventured out into the car park.

It was completely out of the habit they'd had to enforce into their behaviour that, once back at the flat, Carla bolted the door and slid on the chain, before shaking her head and slipping them both off once more. Michelle had flopped down into the sofa with a heavy sigh, pushing her hand through her hair and staring unblinkingly at the blank television screen, almost unable to process the day's events. It was barely tea time and she felt exhausted, too exhausted to even begin any of the work she'd had planned to do and she supposed that a lot of the companies she'd needed to phone would be closing for the day. She turned her head at the rattle of glasses, eyeing Carla disapprovingly when she unscrewed the lid from a bottle of red wine that had been ticked away in a cupboard.

"Oh come on. After the day we've had? A tiny glass."

Relenting, she gave a defeated nod, making to rest her head in her hand but as soon as the skin pressed against her knuckles, she winced and pulled back, examining the damage properly for the first time. They were swollen, one of them had even split, blood drying and flaming off when she brushed a careful fingertip across the wound. She wriggled her fingers gingerly, it didn't feel too painful, she was sure the wound was superficial.

"Maybe we should have had Ali take a look at that..." Carla frowned, leaning over the younger woman's shoulder and lightly pressing the ice she'd wrapped in a cloth against her injured hand.

"It's fine." Michelle murmured, closing her eyes when the other brunette dropped a light kiss to the side of her head. She let her hand linger on the younger woman's arm for a moment longer as she went back to finish pouring the wine, startled when she heard a quiet sniff from the sofa.

The younger woman had her eyes closed once more, her brow furrowed, tears falling down her cheeks as she bowed her head slightly, causing her curtain of hair to fall across her face, hiding it from view. Abandoning the glasses on the counter, Carla dashed back over to her, ignoring the slight twinge of pain in her side as she crouched in front of her trembling frame.

"'Chelle? Hey, what's wrong darlin'?" Green eyes glittered with concern as she tipped the younger brunette's chin, her other hand brushing away escaping tears.

"You were right, what was I thinking? That wasn't me out there," She whispered, sounding distraught. Gulping back a sob, she shifted the cloth off of her hand and took in the state of it once more, shaking her head as though she couldn't quite believe it belonged to her. "I wanted to hurt him so badly. That makes me as bad as-"

"Hey, no. Stop that." Carla's tone was firm and she sat herself beside Michelle, her hands sliding around the back of her head as she coaxed the woman to look at her. "Listen to me, okay? You reacted out of shock and anger. After everything he's done to us-"

"But it wasn't even self defence. I just flew at him, I got arrested...Everyone saw."

"Yeah and even then you only got cautioned. If you'd done something terrible, they wouldn't have let you go." Carla brushed her thumbs over Michelle's cheeks, swiping at the tears that were flowing down her skin. "There's no one on this street who is going to shun you for what you did."

"But I'm ashamed of myself, I hate myself for it."

Carla's expression softened, moisture garnering in her own eyes as she gently pulled the other woman against her chest, brushing gentle fingertips through her hair. "'Chelle you acted out on impulse, everyone's guilty of that at times. You're so kind, if you feel like you've made a mistake then just remember that it's okay to make them. You learn from them. It won't have tainted you one bit, you've still got the most beautiful heart I know."

The younger woman seemed to relax a little at her words, sitting up so she could meet her eyes, a small smile twitching at the corner of her lips. "Thank you..."

Carla brought her fingertip to rest underneath Michelle's chin, holding her gaze for a moment, a comforting smile forming across her lips. When the younger woman didn't return the smile, she leaned across towards her, kissing the tip of her nose. She still didn't react; not until she'd repeated the action twice more did the corner of her mouth twitch slightly. Carla continued to scatter kisses across her face, dotting them over her cheeks, across her forehead, back down her nose until she'd elicited a giggle from Michelle, albeit a half hearted one.

"For what it's worth, I'm not ashamed of you. Nor do I hate you. Those are two things that I could never even contemplate associating with you." With one still tangled in the younger woman's hair, she brought her closer, this time the kiss was placed directly against her mouth. It seemed she'd managed to talk Michelle around, the younger woman looked brighter as they broke apart.

"As long as you don't think badly of me, that's all I care about." She nodded firmly. It seemed stupid now to punish herself for what had already happened. What she needed to focus on was the fact that Robert had been caught and it wasn't like he'd denied his involvement in Carla's attack; he looked guilty enough in running away and trying to flee the scene again that afternoon. With any luck, they'd never have to see him again and the fear that had weighed heavy in both of their hearts had now been lifted. What mattered now was the rest of Carla's recovery and hopefully getting back to some kind of normality.

"Then how about you fetching us a blanket, I'll phone for a take away and we can spend all night watching soppy films on the sofa?"

 **IXIXIXI**

Michelle was pacing the living room impatiently; Carla had text her only minutes previous informing her that she was on her way home. She'd been chatting with Roy at the cafe, decided to stay after closing to have a hot drink with him. She didn't begrudge Carla at all, happy that she'd found something to occupy herself. In the days after Robert being found, the dreams the other woman had been having had dwindled somewhat, still present but it seemed they were getting to sleep on the better side of midnight. It was taking a while to get used to not having a reason to feel anxious when Carla was out and knew that she was absolutely safe at Roy's, a thirty second walk away from her. But tonight, she was anticipating her return home for a completely different reason, excited about the evening ahead.

"Have we had a power cut or something?" Carla frowned, stepping through into the dim apartment, lit only with flickering candles in the fireplace. Michelle shook her head, biting her lip as she slipped behind the other woman, bolting the door and sliding the chain across. The last thing they needed was to be disturbed by someone arriving home earlier than expected. Taking a bewildered Carla's hand, she tugged the older woman further into the room. The rug was covered in cushions from the sofa and a few extra ones that she'd pulled from the bedroom. There was wine and two glasses resting a little away from the candles.

"I thought I'd recreate our 'first date'...of sorts." There was a hint of a smirk on the younger woman's lips and Carla grew suspicious, raising her eyebrow slightly as she took in Michelle's attire. The younger brunette was wearing a short, black dressing down, the slinky material synched at the waist where she'd tied it.

"Okay, I'm interested..." Carla grinned, seizing Michelle's collar and gently tugging her forward, pressing a firm kiss against her mouth. "What's the occasion?"

"We've got the place to ourselves. And I found something I thought you might like." Michelle shrugged, trying to look nonchalant as her hands moved to the knot at the front of her robe. "Close your eyes." She whispered, earning herself a slight frown from the other woman.

"This doesn't look like something I want to miss." Carla tried to argue, but rolled her eyes before closing them anyway, letting out an impatient little huff.

Pulling the gown from her frame, Michelle took a small step back, suddenly uncharacteristically nervous as she prepared herself for the other woman's reaction.

"Okay. Open them."

It wasn't just her eyes, Carla's mouth also fell open when she took in the woman in front of her. She found she'd lost the ability to swallow, all the moisture seemed to have dried up in her throat.

"You bought me it, it's seemed only right you got to see me wearing it."

The white against her tanned skin was mesmerising, the way the material sculpted to every curve caused her heart to thud against her chest. Michelle suddenly found herself subjected to an onslaught of fierce kisses; Carla had thrown herself at the younger woman without any resolve, her hands tangling in her hair. Having been stood almost shyly as she'd awaited to see if the older brunette approved, Michelle was more than happy with the outcome, responding just as eagerly to the searing kiss she'd been pulled into.

"I knew...you'd look...amazing in that." Carla murmured between each crash of her lips against the other woman's, her hands flying down to her own coat, which she peeled from her frame and threw down carelessly.

"I thought you said you weren't thinking about me in it when you bought it?" Michelle smirked, wasting no time in helping Carla with her clothing; she seized the hem of the navy shirt she was wearing and tugged it over the older woman's head, pausing to trail her fingertips down her front, her nails lightly grazing her skin.

"I lied." Was all she said, allowing the younger woman to gently pull her down against the cushions, where she continued her apparent mission of removing the rest of her clothing.

The glow of her skin against the candles was mesmerising, she was golden, fire dancing in her eyes, reflecting the intense flame that fluttered in the dark room, a flame that licked at Michelle's stomach at the sight of her. Emerald and gold, so precious, so beautiful, rendering her speechless.

"What?" Carla murmured, her eyes meeting the deep hazel ones above her, a coy smile spreading across her lips as she surveyed the younger woman's slightly parted ones.

"You look like art." Michelle whispered back, her eyes scanning the lithe frame beneath her, a beauty that she'd never before encountered. Without her brain's permission, she reached out to glide gentle fingertips over the other woman's frame, grazing along her silky skin, down her chest, over her stomach and settling at her inner thigh.

Carla felt her cheeks heat up at the compliment, biting down on a full, lower lip, her eyes fluttering closed as the younger brunette's hand began the tormenting journey down her body.

"Please..." A hoarse whisper of longing sounded from between her lips, green eyes pleading for the intimate contact that Michelle had her to give her.

She couldn't refuse, not when she was looking at her like that, like she was the only thing rooting her to the earth. Leaning over the older woman, she was careful not to place even an ounce of her weight on her injured side as she filled forward, kissing her slowly. Michelle took a full, lower lip between her own, nibbled it gently, before meeting Carla's eager tongue with her own as their kiss grew desperate. It was only when she felt the older brunette shift slightly, trying to encourage Michelle's hand to move further inward from where it was still trailing patterns against her thigh that she broke the kiss, her other hand pushing Carla's hair from her face so she could see her.

"If it gets too much, if you're in pain or you decide you don't want to anymore, tell me straight away. You're in control, okay?" It was the same mantra Michelle ran through each time they'd been physical together.

"I know...I know, baby, I trust you."

"And I want to make sure you always do, so I'll always make sure you're okay."

Bringing her hand up to cup the younger woman's cheek, she coaxed her down, leaving a lingering kiss against her lips. "Just when I think I couldn't love you more, you prove me wrong." They resumed their previous actions, Michelle's lips worked so gently against the other woman's, her hand finally moving from her inner thigh, fingertips grazing over heated skin. Carla's breath suddenly hitched, releasing a heavy sigh against the younger brunette's mouth. Her touch was feather light, barely there against her skin but still sending sparks of pleasure down the other woman's spine. They were still nose-to-nose, Michelle nudging hers against Carla's as she continued to press delicate kisses against her slightly parted mouth.

"'Chelle..." The older brunette murmured, reaching down so she could cover the back of her hand, pressing it more firmly against her body. Thankfully, she relented and finally deepened her touch and Carla sucked in a sharp breath through gritted teeth, her head falling back against the cushions, exposing her throat to Michelle who took it upon herself to begin pressing slow, wet kisses down her neck. Already she could feel the tightness coiling in her stomach and it took every effort in her to slow the way her hips were rocking with the motion of the other woman's hand. It couldn't be over, she wasn't at all ready for it to stop. It had been far too long since she'd felt the ripples of pleasure lapping at every nerve ending, the way her heart pounded against her chest, spreading a warmth that only ever came when Michelle was loving her the way she did. By now the younger woman's lips had descended further and were following a path along her stomach, causing the flame that resided there to multiply, a fully fledged ball of fire erupting inside her, licking at her chest. Michelle reached up with her other hand and found Carla's, lacing their fingers together and the older brunette squeezed them in encouragement, giving her the permission she'd silently asked for. Her eyes squeezed shut, biting her lip in a bid to keep her body from losing all resolve and giving in too quickly as the younger woman's mouth finally dipped lower.

And oh god, she knew her by now. Too well. She knew how to draw it out, the pointed tip of her tongue dancing delicately across her skin, barely there, then suddenly everywhere, flat against her with a firmness that caused Carla to throw her arm above her head and grasp hold of the fluffy fibres. But then her touch was light once more and she let out a groan of frustration, once again pulled back from the edge she was so close to falling from.

"Don't stop," Was all she said. It was all she could say. Even those two words had been forced out between the heavy cries that had started to escape, her body beginning to quiver; there was no way she could hold back any longer. Stars burst from the backs of her closed eyelids, her grip the younger woman's hand crushing as a wave after wave of intense pleasure crashed down and washed over her trembling frame. She'd cried out the younger woman's name, finally going limp against the rug but still gasping for breath. When Carla next opened her eyes, her vision was slightly blurred, but she could see Michelle hovering over her, her hand against her hot cheek, thumb stroking over her skin.

"Are you okay?"

"Okay?" She laughed, managing to pull herself up once she'd caught a sufficient amount of breath. "We don't do that enough. I've decided."

Michelle grinned, gently ripping the other brunette's chin and giving her a soft kiss, lingering until she had to pull away to breathe once more.

"Come here," Carla had started to pull the other woman against her chest, but she shook her head.

"No, I'll hurt you..."

"You won't, it's okay, I promise."

With some reluctance, Michelle leant back slightly against Carla's frame, the older woman's arm wrapping across her stomach. She let her chin rest on her shoulder for a moment, savouring having her close, before beginning to press her lips along her skin, making her way towards the younger woman's neck. Michelle tilted her head to the side, sighing softly when the older brunette's full lips began to knead her skin, eyes fluttering closed when Carla parted her mouth against a pulse point, lathing the area with her tongue.

"I can't get over the way you look in this..." The older brunette murmured, her husky, mellifluous tone dripping over the younger woman, causing her to shiver. Carla's hand has slipped further down her stomach, tracing lightly along a satin waistband. "You haven't got a flaw, 'Chelle," Her voice was still low in her ear and Michelle had opened her mouth, presumably to argue, the exact moment Carla had dipped her hand into the material that had barely covered the lower half of her body. Instead of a contradiction, a loud gasp had left Michelle's lips and the older woman chuckled to herself, her teeth catching the younger woman's earlobe. "Seems like I'm not the only one who missed this."

The younger woman couldn't answer, she hooked her arm around to rest against Carla's face and brought her down against her lips, capturing them in a scorching kiss. She whimpered against it, the other brunette's deft fingers were working in all the right places, she could barely breathe as she tried to keep up with her dominant tongue, which she'd allowed her to push past her parted mouth. An intense flush had started to colour her skin, spreading along her chest; it was one of the signs Carla had been waiting for. With the roll of the younger woman's hips becoming more urgent against her hand, she increased the pace until Michelle went rigid against her. Carla couldn't even bring herself to comment on how quickly the younger brunette had succumbed to her administrations, her satisfied cry carrying through the room and drowning out the soft music that Carla had only realised was playing when the blood had stopped drumming in her own ears. She was too busy watching the other woman in complete awe; never had she contemplated that not only had she been able to lay eyes on the younger woman in that specific article of clothing, but she'd also shared the intimate moment its use had been intended for. Carla silently thanked whatever had aligned the universe in such a way.

"Oh, that was amazing," Michelle whispered breathlessly, a sly little grin forming across her lips. "Hey, if you _could_ play the guitar like that, you'd be like a female Jimi Hendrix."

"Not too shoddy then?" Carla smirked, leaning her warm forehead against Michelle's as they giggled together, the younger woman's nose wrinkling against her own. She lightly connected their lips, bringing her hand up to hold the other woman's cheek, stroking her skin softly.

"I love you, Carla."

The other brunette pulled her down so they were laid out against the pillows once more, sliding their arms around one another as their legs tangled together. Carla brought one of her hands up to tuck a strand of Michelle's now damp hair behind her ear, tracing her fingertips over her jaw until it came to rest beneath her chin, an adoring smile forming across her lips as she met the softened hazel eyes in front of her.

"I love you, too."

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay; although I knew exactly what I wanted to happen in this chapter, I still found some of it hard I write (particularly 'steamy' scenes because they aren't my most comfortable, which I feel may show, but I wanted to challenge myself). Also, I don't condone violence; I just think it's probably how the characters would react in the situation. It's never a good idea to involve yourself in police matters! Still, it's far from the end of the drama for these two ladies... (; Thank you so much to everyone who continues to read and enjoy this story!**


	18. Chapter 18

The heat was blazing. Definitely in the high twenties as Carla made her way towards the rovers, feeling somewhat lost without the presence of her leather jacket. She was wearing a simple black shift dress, not the smartest colour for the weather, but she'd ditched her tights, the hem ending just above her knee, opted for sandals and the dress was looser on her than she last remembered. She supposed with everything that had been happening over the last few weeks, she hadn't really had much of an appetite. It was late afternoon and she felt unusually happy.

Earlier that morning, Michelle had accompanied her to a hospital appointment, finally getting that disgusting, itchy cast removed; the bone in her wrist fully healed though she'd been told to go carefully. There was still a tenderness in her ribs and try as she might, she still hadn't been able to force the original memory of discovering Suzie was her niece to magically reappear in her mind. But recently things had been quiet, herself and Michelle falling into a blissfully domestic routine. Only Aidan's impending inquest at the end of the week was threatening to dampen her high spirits, although Michelle had assured her countless times that they would find a way through it together. She smiled to herself. Together. Because that's what they were, a unit. It's what they had always been, but now even more so.

Michelle had taken off to oversee the decorating of one of her clients venue's straight after her hospital appointment, but had promised to meet her in the Rovers once she had finished. She'd had to stay a little longer than anticipated, the client had been so happy with Michelle's work that she'd insisted that the younger brunette stay for the ceremony and it wasn't something she'd been able to refuse. It was Ryan who had messaged her in the end, saying to bring herself to the pub sharpish, apparently it was going to be a lively night. Of course she'd heard the rumour that Gemma and Henry were buying the Rovers Return, but it seemed they were trial running it for a night to see how they got on.

Carla could hear the thump of the music before the building came into sight and she wondered what horrors awaited her behind the green doors. With her attention focused solely on the music and the people that were stumbling in and out through the doors, she only realised that her nephew was one of them after the crowd had dissipated.

" _Ryan Connor!_ What on Earth do you think you're doing?" Holding her head high, she marched over to her nephew with a look of stern disapproval, plucking the cigarette he'd sparked away from his lips and throwing it into the box that was specifically situated on the wall for such litter. "If your mother catches you-"

"Oh I don't think she's capable of catching anyone, the state she's in. I doubt she can even see straight...No pun intended." He grinned cockily, reaching into his pocket to pull out the rest of the packet.

"I thought you had more sense. Oh, don't smoke Ry- Hang on. What do you mean?" Suddenly realising exactly what her nephew had said, she gave him a sharp tap on the shoulder for his cheek, before letting out a wince. "Is she drunk?"

"Well, she was a little bit merry when she came back from that wedding and then Gemma forced a few of her two-for-one cocktails onto her."

Carla let out a groan, although she was barely annoyed at the other woman. It wasn't like she didn't deserve to let her hair down. "Right, well I better go and assess the damage. If she asks, I'm telling her you're out here smoking."

Passing her nephew, she pushed the door open and was met with an onslaught of noise. The music was deafeningly loud, orders were having to be shouted over the top of it and the punters were in various states of drunkenness; one of them almost stumbling into her as she passed them. Michelle wasn't hard to spot, she stood out drastically in the crowd, dressed far too classy and glamorous for an evening in a backstreet boozer. Wearing a two-piece black dress that not only revealed a band of tanned skin between the high waisted skirt and cropped lace top, but when she twirled around, Carla saw that it was practically backless, secured around her body with a thick band of material. The blazer she'd been wearing with it had long since been abandoned in the heat and her enthusiastic dancing with Maria and Kate had caused tendrils of hair from her elegant up-do go slip down, framing her face. She looked beautiful. The older brunette swallowed, her face heating up as her brain decided that what she really wanted to do, was trail a wet line of kisses along Michelle's exposed back. Shaking the thought from her mind and taking a calming breath, he forced her expression into one of mock disapproval.

"Oh, so while I've been sat back at the flat waiting for you, you've been partying it up in here with our friends and my sister?"

The three women, who had all been too busy throwing their arms about to 'Dancing Queen' to notice that she'd walked in, span around with wide grins on their faces; they all looked worse for wear. No smile matched Michelle's though, who let out a cry of delight and made her way over to Carla, unsteady on her feet and unusually taller than her due to the heels she was wearing.

"There she is!" She sang, wrapping her arms around the older brunette and almost lifting her off her feet with the welcoming hug she'd pulled her into. "My other half, the light of my life, the person who has made me the luckiest woman in the world!"

Carla rolled her eyes, though returned the hug with equal enthusiasm and was unable to stop a small smirk from stretching across her lips; even drunk, Michelle was still utterly charming.

"Look at the state of you," She tittered, shaking her head and lightly tugging on one of the curls that had dropped from one of the pins in Michelle's hair, watching it spring back into place as she let it go.

"It's those two, they're bad influences." The younger brunette pointed towards Kate and Maria, who had now been joined by Jenny and she looked the most sloshed out of the lot.

"Don't give me that," Carla smirked smugly, dropping her voice as she moved her lips by Michelle's ear. "You're forgetting I know just how much of a _bad_ influence you are."

Michelle let out a giggle, dipping forward to kiss the other woman's lips. Carla could taste wine on them, mixed with something sweet.

"You look gorgeous, Carla."

"You _are_ drunk, aren't you?" The older brunette laughed, pressing another swift kiss against her lips.

"I am, but you always do look gorgeous so my alcohol consumption never changes that perception. I like that dress on you."

"Well, play your cards right and I might let you take it _off_ me later." She watched in satisfaction as Michelle's cheeks went pink, her eyes darkening somewhat. "Of course you're not doing very well so far. You haven't even offered the supposed 'light of your life' a drink."

Rolling her eyes, Michelle took hold of her hand and lead Carla over to the bar, sliding an arm around her waist as she called out to Gemma for service.

"Hey, you need to try one of her...her whatchamacallit's... Scooby dooby thingy's," Michelle tried to articulate, much to the dismay of the newest proposed landlady.

"They're called Uber-Duber's, I've told you three times!"

"Yes because that's a much more sensible name." Michelle quipped, pulling her purse from her bag as Gemma opened her mouth to retaliate.

"Alright, alright," Carla held out her hand, cutting across the pair of them before an argument could break out. "As it goes, I think I'll just have a small red wine, ta."

Michelle paid for Carla's drink and the pair of them made their way back towards the rest of the group, who had managed to somehow snag a booth after a group of younger punters had left to continue their night in town.

"Why are we sitting? I want to dance!" Kate frowned, her eyes completely out of focus as she nursed one of Gemma's lethal cocktails in her hands.

Michelle had slid into the booth after Carla, automatically positioning her arm around the other brunette and dropping her head against her shoulder, leaning into her with a happy grin that seemed to be permanently stuck on her face. It might have had something to do with the alcohol, but she couldn't help giving into how undeniably content she felt. She gazed up at Carla, who met her eyes and laughed gently at the awed expression on the other woman's face. It wasn't often Michelle was worse for wear and it was amusing to witness, she still found the younger woman entirely endearing.

"Oh you do make a bonny pair, you two." Jenny slurred, raising her half empty glass at them, before rounding on Maria and Kate. "Don't they make a bonny couple?"

"Truly stunning," Kate nodded sarcastically, though she was only teasing them. "What, so are Rana and I the 'ugly sisters' of pairings?"

"No don't be daft! You're all stunning. I was just pointing it out because they're both here."

It was definitely one of the more bizarre nights Carla had spent in the Rovers, however she was enjoying herself; although that may have been to do with her fact she herself was progressively becoming more and more drunk with each glass of red she'd consumed. She was surprised Michelle hadn't lectured her about her alcohol intake, not that she was in any fit state to keep count herself. Making her way into the back yard, she fanned her face with her fingertips as she sat down on one of the benches, deciding that red wine combined with the blazing summer sun wasn't the smartest combination. No sooner had she taken her seat, someone took it upon themselves to flop down next to her.

"Hey, you."

She resisted the urge to groan, plastering on a false smile as she turned to face Peter. She grit her teeth in an effort to be polite; he had, after all, only sat next to her. It wasn't like he'd done anything to wind her up. Not purposely. Not yet.

"How're you doing?" He asked, thrusting his hand into his jeans pocket to pull out a slightly crumpled packet of cigarettes. Picking one out, he placed the filter between his lips and clicked his lighter, sparking a flame as he inhaled deeply.

"Yeah, I'm doing great actually." Carla almost laughed, realising that for once, she wasn't having to lie about feeling okay.

"Really?"

Carla raised her eyebrow, confused as to what he was getting at.

"Yes."

"You just don't seem yourself." He shrugged, causing her to let out a scoff.

"Well I was great before you sat down. Make of that what you will." She shrugged, shuffling further towards the end of the bench, away from the toxic smoke he was blowing into the air around them.

"I meant in general," he grumbled, clearly taking offence to her snippy behaviour. It was as though he had forgotten entirely that he'd practically ruined her life. Although, she supposed in the end he'd done her a favour. A huge one. She ought to thank him.

"Well I suppose I'm just happy, probably not something you were used to seeing on me."

"Happy, honestly? Settling for a woman?"

"Why, should it be two?" Carla quipped, unable to stop herself from jibing at him, rather than telling him to mind his own. The alcohol had a lot to do with that decision. She noticed the mans face drop, his brow furrowing.

"Oh don't look so wounded. I wasn't the one who slept with the babysitter on our wedding night."

"Not an entirely improbable suggestion now, is it?" He dared to joke, causing the brunette woman's brows to fly towards her hairline, a scoff if disbelief leaving her lips.

"Now, look," she began sternly, her green eyes glittering with anger as she jabbed a finger in his direction. "Whatever you're suddenly assuming of me, I can assure you that you longer know nothing about me. Alright? I _am_ happy, now, for once in my life and even that's more than you need to know about me. So shove off."

"With Michelle?" He pressed further, ignoring her non-too-polite suggestion despite the fact he knew his presence was about as appreciated as a hard bout of the flu.

"With Michelle." She confirmed, giving an assertive nod.

"And you'll be satisfied with her for the rest of your life?"

His incessant questioning had really stated to boil her blood, a dangerous smile forming across her lips.

"Wow, it really is a hard concept for you to grasp, isn't it? _One_ woman, _twice_ the satisfaction. Believe me."

"Twice?" He scoffed, letting out a hearty laugh, as though she'd said something highly amusing. Far from blowing her top, she smiled again, rolling her shoulder nonchalantly.

"On average, yeah. But sometimes three and even four times."

His face scrunched up in disgust and he let out a groan of discomfort at her obvious insinuation, taking another deep drag from the cigarette between his fingers and flicking the ash carelessly to the ground, grey flecks of it scattering across his lap.

"I mean, it's not _just_ the physical stuff," she mused out loud, more to herself than Peter, now that she was thinking about it. Her inebriated state had probably caused her to speak so upfront about her relationship, but she still felt a stirring of guilt that she'd implied it was purely about their sex life; she hadn't meant to sound as vulgar as it had come across. "She knows every last thing I've been through and there's no way she'd ever do anything that'd cause me any amount of pain." Tilting her head to the side, her gaze was focused on a scabby looking pigeon that had fluttered down into the back yard of the pub, pecking hopefully at an empty packet of peanuts that had been scrunched up and thrown carelessly on the floor, despite there being a bin situated not two foot from it. "She really loves me...And I really love her. So much..." A doting grin stretched her lips, her eyes hazy; she'd definitely had far too much to drink if she was starting to get emotional about being so happy. The fresh air had doubled the effect of the red wine, sending it straight to her head. It was only when Peter cleared his throat awkwardly that she jumped, snapping herself out of it. To her amusement, he was slumped back against the bench, sulking, his lips pursed bitterly.

"Anyway, is there owt I can help you with or did you just sit here to remind me how irritating you can be?"

Taking one last drag, he threw the tab end onto the floor carelessly, a stream of grey smoke billowing from his lips, causing Carla to scrunch up her own face in disgust, wafting the air around her. Peter had merely grunted in response to her question, pulling himself up from the bench and turning his back on her.

"Now don't you go being a stranger!" She chuckled sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she watched him disappear back inside the Rovers, a smug little smirk forming across her lips. It was hard not to feel that after everything the world had thrown at her, for once, she was winning in the hard game of life.

"Carla, one. Universe, nil."

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness." A familiar voice sounded from behind her and she turned her head, finding herself face to face with a grinning Michelle. She was unsteady on her feet, practically falling next to her. "You've been out here ages, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just enjoying the quiet."

"Ah, that's age for you." Michelle smirked, giving the older woman a teasing little nudge, which Carla returned with a titter.

She looked at the younger woman beside her, eyes hazy and unfocused, a sloppy, adoring smile across her lips, clumsy curls falling around her face which was flushed from a combination of the heat, dancing and alcohol, and felt her heart swell with love. She was settling down _with_ her, not for her. As if anyone could even suggest being with Michelle merely settling; the woman was stunning inside and out.

"What're you staring at?" The other brunette laughed, her words slightly slurred.

"Just taking in how beautiful you are," Carla whispered, reaching out to tuck one of the fallen curls behind Michelle's ear, allowing her fingertip to glide smoothly along her jawline.

The younger woman tilted her head, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment as a coy smile formed across her lips. She moved forward, her lips already pursed, though pulled back suddenly with a frown across her face.

"Have you been smoking?"

"Of course not!" Carla looked offended at the accusation, a small huff sounding from her mouth. "I did stop your son from doing so earlier though, he was sparking up as I came in."

"He _what_ now?" Michelle looked outraged and Carla felt bad about dobbing her nephew in like that, but she didn't want to relay the conversation she'd just had and who with; the last thing they needed was for Michelle to fly off the handle, especially when she was having such a good evening. Well, had been up until she'd found out Ryan had been smoking. Her dark eyes had narrowed, hands either side of her body as she began to push herself back up, probably intending to find her son. Carla moved quickly, shuffling closer to Michelle and swiftly sitting herself down in the younger woman's lap, winding her arms loosely around her neck.

"Come here..." she grinned, dipping down and capturing Michelle's lower lip between her own, lingering there. They kissed slowly, the younger woman responding with increasing pressure until the tip of Carla's tongue brushed by hers and it grew more passionate, her hands tangling in the older brunettes hair to hold her closer; the pair of them had seemingly forgotten where they were.

"My god it's boiling in there, I'm absolutely roasting!" Beth's voice came from the doorway; she was leading a few of the factory workers out into the light breeze. It had grown cooler outside as night had started to fall. "They ought to think about getting air con if they-" she stopped short, a gleeful cackle tumbling from her lips at the sight in front of her, turning her head slightly so she could call over her shoulder. "Hey! Cop a load of this, Michelle and Mrs C are out here _snogging!"_

 **IXIXIXI**

"Well, I suppose it's what we expected." Michelle sighed, slinking her arm around Carla as they exited the court with their family. The older woman had nodded in agreement, though the disappointment was evident on her face. "I'm going to help you get the factory back." Michelle assured her, knowing how much the place meant to the other woman even if she hadn't fussed about it during the inquest. In her eyes it had, and always would, belong to Carla. With a defeated nod, the older brunette sank into Michelle's shoulder, letting out a deflated sigh. She didn't doubt that Michelle had every intention of following through in her promise, but couldn't see how they were going to get her former business back. Perhaps this was really the end of Underworld for her and she'd have to start to look for a new venture. In what, she had no idea. The factory had been her life all the time she'd been at Weatherfield and the thought of never being able to walk through the doors as the owner was weighing heavy in her chest.

Michelle stopped in her tracks, turning to face Carla and offering her a sympathetic smile. "You've got me," she assured her, reaching out to take hold of her face, brushing gentle thumbs along her cheekbones. "You'll always have me."

"I know," Carla nodded, sliding her arms around the younger woman's waist. "And I'm so lucky..."

Michelle pulled her into a loving embrace, stroking her hand over her back. She was determined that it wouldn't be the end, even if at that moment in time, she didn't have the slightest idea how she was going to help the other woman reclaim Underworld.

When they'd returned to the cobbles, the dull sky reflecting the misery they all felt in their hearts, Carla had excused herself for a walk; something that had been difficult in not getting Michelle to follow.

"I'll be fine. I promise. Please, 'Chelle...I just need some time on my own." Carla had pleaded, until the younger brunette had finally relented, though she looked seriously unhappy about the situation.

"Wait, Carla...I've got something to tell you." Guilt flickered in Michelle's eyes as she bit down on her lip, looking worried.

"What is it?" Carla didn't know if she could take anymore disappointment.

"Robert was sentenced today...The police phoned a few days ago and when they said it was on the day of Aidan's inquest, I didn't want to upset you anymore." She was speaking fast, trying to defend only just telling Carla. The older brunette looked shocked for a second, wondering if she should be feeling angry. She couldn't. Michelle had kept the information because she hadn't wanted her to have yet another worry piled on top of her brother's inquest. "I didn't think you'd have wanted to go anyway... I know I can live happily without seeing his face again."

Nodding in agreement, Carla reached out and took Michelle's hands in her own, giving them a gentle squeeze. "He's out of or lives and we've got more important things to think about."

"Are you still going on your walk?" Michelle questioned, looking hesitant to let the other woman go. With a gentle sigh, Carla gave a small nod. She needed some time alone, time to think.

"Just...text me when you're coming home? I'll make us something to eat, run you a bath, whatever you need." Despite the uncertainty in her tone, Michelle knew better than to argue with Carla when she needed space. She couldn't be attached to her all the time no matter how anxious it made her when they were apart.

"I will," Carla promised, leaning up to press a gentle kiss against her lips. "I love you."

She didn't have any idea as to where she was walking to. For a moment, she considered nipping in to see Roy, but thought the better of it. She didn't want to offload her anger into him and even though she knew Michelle would be prepared to listen, she felt guilty. How could she bang on about the factory after they'd just been at Aidan's inquest? It would seem so insensitive. It wasn't even for her own sanity that she craved to be back behind her desk at Underworld; in her heart, she knew that Aidan hadn't intended for Alya to run the whole of the business. Or had he? Had he thought Carla incapable of being able to run the place adequately after her diagnosis? She shook the thought from her head, it had caused her stomach to sink. She felt so disappointed in herself.

"Carla!" Whipping around, a stony expression settled across her face, an icy frost spreading in her chest as Alya made her way across the street towards her; the very last person she wanted to see. The younger woman's hair billowed in the light breeze as she stopped in front of her, an envelope clutched in her hand. "Can I have a word?"

"You can have two. I don't think you'll like them, though." Carla almost snapped, glaring at the new factory owner with contempt. Far from retaliating, which is what she'd expected Alya to do, she merely held out the white envelope in her hand and offered it to Carla. "I want to sell Underworld back to you."

The older woman blinked.

"You want to _what?"_

"Aidan originally left me eighteen percent, right? You can have the whole thing for double that."

Carla's jaw dropped, hardly daring to believe that she was hearing. All of underworld. For thirty-six percent? She studied the younger woman's face, as though searching for the catch, waiting for her to burst out laughing and inform her it was all a joke.

"But- why?"

Alya rapped the envelope she'd pressed into Carla's hands, offering her a sympathetic smile. "Family comes first. I want to invest in Zeedan's restaurant. That's an interview Aidan did for a student about his kidney donation. I think once you watch it, you'll understand."

Clutching the letter in her hands, Carla stared down at the garish black title, her brother's name scrawled boldly across the surface. The student had probably scribbled his name across absentmindedly, probably had another handful of interviews and research to back up whatever they'd needed to write about. She wondered, while this person had been gathering together the evidence for whatever project they were undertaking, whether they'd realised that they'd been talking to someone who was already planning their last moments. Maybe they were wondering if they'd noticed any signs...

"Carla," Alya began, her tone suddenly serious. "I can't wait forever for this. If you want the factory back, I'm going to need to get the ball rolling straight away. Otherwise, there's plenty of people who'd snatch up the opport-"

"No, I want it." The older brunette nodded, hardly daring the believe her luck. "I'll get the money. You just draw up a contract for me to sign."

 **IXIXIXI**

"Well, me and Robert were struggling before...But I've got some savings from this wedding business. I'm not sure how much help they'll be, but you can have them."

Michelle and Carla were both sat at the kitchen table; the older woman had raced back home after Alya had offered her old business back to her. She'd already bitten off more than she could chew, having no idea how on Earth she was going to come up with that sort of money so quickly. They'd debated gathering together their whole family, asking them to chip in, but she felt guilty taking money from them. When Michelle had offered her own savings, Carla reached out for her hand, giving it a grateful squeeze. Although it would be nowhere near enough to cover the shares, her heart swelled at the fact that the younger woman was willing to give her everything she had.

"You are literally the kindest person on this planet and I love you more than anything." Carla sighed, running the pad of her thumb over the back of her hand. "I'll ring round a few of my contacts, see what they can come up with."

But by the end of that day, Carla's efforts had been futile, she'd gone through every last person in her phone book. With Michelle out in town, having dashed off to meet a client, she was sat in the Rovers once more, looking thoroughly miserable.

"Cheer up, it might never happen."

Johnny had slid into the booth next to her, offering her a comforting smile.

"It already has." She groaned, her head dropping into her hands. He could tell it was serious, Carla had already drained the glass of wine in front of her and hadn't even attempted to get up for another one.

As she explained the situation with Alya's proposal, her father suddenly looked as though he could kick himself.

"I'm sorry," He groaned, looking stricken. "I could have helped you, I would have but..." The man had trailed off, looking hesitant to deliver the news.

"But?" Carla prompted, suddenly curious as to what he was hiding from her.

"I've just bought this place."

" _What?"_ Her brows flew to her hairline as she shook her head in disbelief. "No, Gemma was having this place."

"It fell through. Bit of a long story. So me and Jenny put in an offer and Toyah accepted."

Carla let out a bark of laughter, glancing around the pub in denial.

"I needed something to focus on."

At his words, Carla suddenly looked guilty for having mocked his decision and she reached out, resting her hand on his apologetically.

"Oh, you've just reminded me..." Reaching to the side of her, she unzipped her bag and pulled out the envelope Alya has passed into her, placing it in the middle of them. "I haven't had chance to watch it. I don't even know if I can. It's an interview than Aidan gave about kidney donation."

Johnny glanced at it, his eyes fixated on the lettering across the front. His eyes closed for a moment, but then he offered Carla a reassuring smile, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"We'll watch it together."

 **IXIXIXI**

Carla was fuming, seething but deliriously happy at the exact same time as she stalked across the cobbles, heading back towards her flat. How dare he? How dare he swoop down, flashing his cash like she was some kind of damsel who needed rescuing. But she had, that was the most frustrating thing. After preparing herself to tell Alya that she needed a few days and realising the younger woman wasn't prepared to budge, Peter had come bounding into the Factory looking smug and superior, announcing that he was her investor.

What was worse was that she'd accepted. She'd been able to feel Underworld slipping through her fingers and out of complete desperation, she'd accepted his offer, telling herself if would he okay, he was a sleeping partner. Carla wasn't feeling too clever about her decision now she was faced with the prospect of telling Michelle. She suddenly wondered if working for Roy, heating up beans and buttering toast, might have been a more peaceful option. Dread settled in her stomach as she entered the flat, dumping her keys unceremoniously onto the counter. The metal rattled harshly as it scraped against the marble, the sound etching itself into her brain, perhaps a sign of things to come.

Michelle was sprawled out across the sofa, iPad on her lap as she swiped dutifully through her inbox. She'd clicked on a link and was scrolling interestedly through a mass of bouquets, absentmindedly enlarging a blinding array of sunflowers combined with roses, beautiful but evidently not what she was looking for, judging by the scrunch of her nose as she shook her head.

Swallowing nervously, Carla made her way further into the living area, taking a deep breath.

"Can I talk to you?"

A puzzled frown wrinkled the younger woman's face and she switched off the device she was working on, the screen suddenly falling black as she placed it down on the coffee table.

"What's up?" She looked worried, which mirrored Carla's own emotions. The older brunette perked delicately on the arm of the sofa, her hands falling into her lap where they twisted anxiously.

"I couldn't get an investor, I ran out of time." She began, hoping that if Michelle had thought she'd lost the factory, the real news wouldn't be as big of a blow. The younger woman did looked devastated for her; she leaned across and placed a sympathetic hand on her knee, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry, darling, I really am..."

"Someone came forward right at the last minute. I didn't even know they were an option..."

"Well, who? Why do you look so disap- Oh, no. It's not Sally Webster is it?" Michelle cringed, barely even able to contemplate the nightmare. It didn't fill Carla with much confidence. She was sure that once Michelle found out exactly who she'd just gone into business with, she'd be begging for the Mayor of Weatherfield to take over the partnership.

Shaking her head, the older brunette took a deep breath, her eyes closing so she wouldn't have to witness Michelle's reaction.

"Peter wanted to invest."

The silence rang out throughout the flat. Michelle didn't seem to have taken in what she'd said at first, her expression blank.

"Peter Barlow?"

"I've accepted his offer..."

"No. No you haven't." Michelle rubbed her hand across her forehead, pushing it through her hair stressfully. "For God sake, Carla!"

"There wasn't any other way!" She cried, her green eyes damp with desperation as she pleaded with the younger woman to see her side. "I was going to lose it!"

"Maybe that would have been better, he's a complete disaster." Michelle snapped, instantly regretting her decision when she saw the fire spark in Carla's eyes. She hadn't wanted an argument.

"I'm going crazy here, Michelle! I can't just sit here feeling useless. Watching you go to work, watching Ali and Ryan, while I'm just here doing nothing. It's doing my head in!"

The younger woman crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head, her tongue poking against her cheek at the audacity of the other woman. "I can't believe you."

"Please, 'Chelle..." Carla's voice was soft, which shocked her. She'd expected her to fire up once more. The other brunette looked almost tearful, her expression soft and desperate as she stepped closer to Michelle, reaching up to cup her cheeks. "He's a sleeping partner, that's all. It really was the only option. I love that place, I know you probably think I'm stupid. I know you're probably going to question whether my love for the factory comes before you-"

"No...No, I'm not." The younger woman suddenly sighed, her eyes falling closed. There was no one, other than Robert, that she loathed more than Peter Barlow, she couldn't stand the fact that he'd jumped to the rescue like some knight in shining armour. She had to question, however, whether it was that she was more hurt about, rather than the fact Carla was going into business with him. Was she just jealous that she hadn't been able to give it to the other woman herself? If it meant that Carla would be happy, she decided she was prepared to swallow her pride. "I understand, honestly, I do."

"Oh, Michelle, thank you," She whispered, flinging her arms around the younger woman's neck and pressing multiple kisses against her lips. "I know this isn't ideal-"

"I just want you to be happy. I'm just sorry I couldn't be more helpful..."

Shaking her head, Carla stretched up to kiss her once more, brushing her hand through silky tresses of hair. "It's because of you I'm still in the right frame of mind to be running a business at all. I'd have gone to pieces without you. You have helped me, more than you'll ever know." Shuffling from the arm of the sofa, she carefully positioned herself in Michelle's lap, nudging her nose against the other woman's cheek when she slid her arms around her waist; it had become the older woman's favourite way to be held, her entire body pressed firmly against the other brunettes, with the comfort and security of Michelle's arms wrapped firmly around her. The tips of her fingers began to trace gentle patterns over Carla's upper arm and her eyes fluttered shut, her head drooling against her shoulder as she let out a content sigh, glad that it hadn't descended into a full blown screaming match between the two. She was already completely drained from the rollercoaster of events.

 **IXIXIXI**

There was something very eerie about an empty factory. Whether it was the stillness of the stagnant machines or the dim lighting from the lone light in the office, Carla felt a shiver ripple down her spine. The keys were dangling from her fingertips, the rattle of them being the only sound to fill the air. That, and the light thud of Peter's footsteps behind her.

"How does it feel to be Queen of the castle again?" He grinned, his face dropping slightly when he caught the look on her face. Were those tears?

Carla cleared her throat, blinking rapidly, she looked mortified at having come over all emotional. All she could think about was Aidan, his presence was still all over the place. It was almost like being back had suddenly brought her closer to him and she was suddenly doubting herself once more. Was this really want her little brother had wanted? No, he'd said family was the most important. She'd managed to get through the DVD bit by agonising bit and even though it tugged on her heart every time she replayed it in her mind, it also gave the the reassurance she needed when she was suddenly in turmoil over her ability to keep the place ticking over as well as he had.

"Hey, come on. This is a good thing. This place belongs to you."

"Oh, god, sorry. What am I like, ey?" Carla sniffed, rolling her eyes as she tried to pass her breakdown off as a joke, though her voice had cracked, giving her away completely.

"You're allowed to cry, Carla..." He spoke softly, moving towards her hesitantly, before wrapping his arms around her.

She allowed him the hug. He had, after all, managed to bring her some form of happiness in the end; he'd brought Underworld back to her. I would never make up for anything that had happened between them, but she could lessen the grudge. It wasn't as if she hadn't been able to find happiness again, she'd got it a million times over. A smile spread across her lips, she was already picturing Michelle waltzing her way into the office, taking it upon herself to commandeer the chair opposite and nag her about lunch, reminding her to eat, making sure she wasn't working herself too hard. And Carla would roll her eyes and fix the woman with an icy stare, pretending she was fed up, but on the inside she'd be melting, touched at her concern.

Yes, as annoying as he'd been, it seemed that Peter really had just been trying to do something nice for her. That thought lasted less than half a second. As soon as she'd let him go, she found herself pulled back into his arms, felt the burn of stubble scratching against her skin and his lips were suddenly on hers. There was a nano second where she'd frozen completely in shock, wondering what the hell he was playing at, before her hands collided with his chest, about to push him back, until a smash behind them rendered the action unnecessary, he'd instantly pulled back.

There was what had been a bottle, now broken, shards of it littering the factory floor, dark liquid spreading quickly over the hard surface.

Carla didn't think she'd ever be able to unsee that look on Michelle's face. Utter devastation. She was absolutely certain that she'd just seen the exact moment when someone's heart truly shattered, because Michelle's had surely crumbled right in front of her.

The colour had drained from the younger woman's face at the scene before her, the gift bag that had been looped over her fingers slipping from her grasp. It couldn't be happening. No. This was one of those awful nightmares that you wake up from, feeling relieved. Any second she'd fly up from the sheets and find the other woman curled next to her. Sleeping peacefully. Definitely _not_ locking lips with her ex-husband.

"'Chelle..." Carla's whisper echoed ominously around the empty factory. "That wasn't what it looked like."

But Michelle's eyes had already filled with tears and she'd turned her back on Carla, fleeing from the building. A sob burst from her throat as she tore town the steps, almost twisting her ankle when she raced across the street, away from the harrowing scene she'd just stumbled upon.

"Michelle?" She heard the shout of her name and just for a split second, hope ignited in her chest, only to be doused when Kate came hurrying towards her, concern plastered across her features.

"Leave me alone!" Her chest burned. It was painful, so painful. It shot through every vein, seized her heart, her muscles ached with it. With her mind racing rapidly, she barely realised she was heading straight for the Rovers, her feet carrying her there of their own accord with Kate hot at her heels, still shouting after her. It was the only place she could think to go. She couldn't go back to the flat. _Their_ flat. She had no idea where either of her sons would he at this time and who did she have left to turn to?

Inside the Rovers, lunchtime rush had started and there was ample custom, providing her with quite the audience when Michelle burst through the door. Panting, pale, her hair ruffled from the mad dash across the cobbles, she clapped eyes on Johnny who was serving behind the bar and burst into tears. He almost fell over in his haste to rush around to the other side. Something terrible must have happened, these were real, heart wrenching cries that were tearing from the younger woman's mouth, piercing the now silent room.

If it had been any normal day, her chest might have swelled with pride at the sight of Ali and Ryan, who had been chatting almost companionably while having lunch together; an occurrence which before she might have deemed unbelievable. Across from her, a group of factory girls were nursing pints, having been excitedly discussing the prospect of returning to work the following day under the rule of their former boss, who, despite their many complaints about, they had missed her. I'm another booth, it seemed Sarah had been trying to placate the animosity between Audrey and Maria, both of them sat opposite one another with stern faces, the younger woman's jaw set in defiance. All of them going about with their daily lives when Michelle's had just been shattered.

"What the flamin' 'ell's happened, Michelle?" Johnny gasped, wrapping his arms around the sobbing woman. He looked across to Kate, who had tumbled through the door seconds after, clutching a stitch in her side, for a clue, but she just shook her head. Ryan and Ali had both stood up from their table, exchanging worried glances with one another.

"She just came running out of the factory, completely hysterical!"

"You're scaring us now, is it Carla?"

Michelle gave a small nod, her fingers curling into the sleeves of her Uncle's shirt as she tried to gulp down enough air to compose herself. "Carla... _and_ Peter." She managed to choke out, the words tasting bitter on her tongue. She felt physically sick, her mouth had started to water and she seriously considered pulling from Johnny's grasp to relieve the burning in her throat.

At her words, his face fell, a soft groan escaping from his lips. "Oh, no... No, surely not?"

She was spared from affirming the knowledge, only by the sound of the door opening again. They all seemed to freeze as the pair in question walked in. It was hard to tell whether Carla looked more furious or upset; before anyone could jump to attack, she held up her hands.

"You Just ran off, you didn't give me a chance to explain-"

"Explain why you were kissing him?" Michelle cried, spinning to face them, her tear stained face suddenly livid. "I don't need to hear!"

"Michelle, he kissed me!" Carla turned to Peter, jabbing her finger furiously in his direction. "Tell her!"

Looking as though he'd rather not admit to the entirety of the pair's family and rest of the punters what he had done, he cast his eyes to the floor before finally giving a slow nod. At least he had the decency to look downright ashamed of himself. "Look, it was my fault. She was upset and I misread the situation-"

"Misread it? You were taking advantage!" Carla fumed, her fingertips twitching dangerously. She was trying her best to refrain from slapping him clean across the face, but he was making resistance extremely difficult.

"I'm sorry," He tried, making the mistake of daring to inch closer towards where Michelle was stood, looking downright murderous, her dark eyes charged with fury.

"You take one step closer, mate, and I'll knock your block off!" Michelle snapped, so fiercely that he stopped in his tracks completely, remaining rooted to the spot.

"Get out of my pub!" Jenny suddenly cried, throwing her arm out and pointing in his direction. "Go on, sling your hook! I won't have you in here causing trouble for my family."

Johnny was eyeing his wife impressively, an air of pride about his manner as he nodded towards her.

"I think you'd better do as she says."

He looked as though he wanted to argue, but seemed to gather extremely quickly that he was in no winning position. Even if he had dared to defy Jenny, it was anyone's guess as to who would get to him first; the two younger Connor's and Ali were all stood scowling at him, their arms folded defiantly across their chests.

"You were a betting man once," Carla shrugged, glancing around at her family before turning back to where Peter was stood. "Surely you can tell the odds certainly aren't in your favour. Now do one."

It seemed he could read a situation clearly when he wanted to. He made no further argument as he trudged towards the door, tail well and truly between his legs as he exited the Rovers, pretty sure his face wouldn't be welcomed back there anytime soon.

Carla reached out towards Michelle, intending to take her hand but the younger woman snatched it from her grasp and her fingertips curled around the empty air between them. "Michelle, please," She whispered, her eyes wide and pleading. "I swear to you, I didn't kiss him. I was pushing him off. I would never do that to you, I love you..."

The younger woman met her eyes, her heart squeezing. She _did_ know. She always knew. Carla wasn't lying and it was with a rush of ease that she realised just how much she did trust the other woman.

"I know," Michelle whispered, daring to take a small step towards her. "I believe that you love me."

Carla let out a sigh of relief, feeling overwhelmed by it. "I could never hurt you. Michelle I-" she hesitated, very aware they had an audience. "I've never felt this way about anyone before. What we have is everything to me."

"I wasn't just coming in to give you that present." Michelle confessed, the words tumbling from her mouth before her brain had given them permission to do so. "But I need to know we've got something...Something serious."

Carla looked desperate, her eyes filled with tears.

"I _am_ serious about us, 'Chelle..." She didn't notice the younger woman digging around in her bag, too busy rummaging in her own jacket pocket. "In fact, I've never been more serio-" she stopped short, Michelle was clutching a small black box in her shaking hand. But her eyes were wide, focused entirely on Carla, who had produced one that was entirely identical from her bag, she'd started to hold it out but her hand had frozen in mid air, knuckles whitening as they tightened around the smooth velvet.

It could have been comical, the way they mirrored one another, mouths falling open, both of them rigid with shock. The rest of pub had suddenly gone deathly silent, the chatter had stopped, knives and forks hovering in mid air as the customers soaked up the sudden drama of their dinner hour. The pint Jenny had been pulling was now overflowing and splashing onto the drip tray beneath the glass. It was Carla who broke the silence, her face had paled and she looked on the verge of nervous collapse, but her jaw clenched in determination.

"You know, when I first met you, I thought you were a right spoiled brat. I could have taken hold of you by the pigtails and swung you over the fence. I think I was a bit jealous of the way your brothers doted on you. But I mean, how could they not?" She laughed at the memory, though at the time her heart had burned with envy, watching Paul give into his little sister's every demand, the way she only had to pout at Liam and he'd give her extra cash for sweets. Sweets, she remembered with a smile, that Michelle would share with her while they laid out on the field opposite school in summer. Helen had gone ballistic when the young girl had returned home with grass stains on her jumper. It hadn't even been hers, Michelle had been so subtle in the way she'd 'accidentally' brought home Carla's, handing it back to her freshly laundered and ironed with an apology for her 'mistake'. Carla hadn't even known how to respond to such a selfless act of kindness. It was one of the first times it had been properly clean. Carla had taken comfort in the fresh, cosy scent of it all day. "I wouldn't admit it back then, but you were the kind of person I'd always longed to have in my life. Kind, loyal, protective. You do anything for the people you love. You've always been special to me, 'Chelle, I couldn't imagine my life without you."

The younger brunette had tears on her face. This really wasn't how she'd planned the moment, she didn't have any idea what she was supposed to do, or say, all she knew was that she needed to open her mouth and respond.

"Well, i'll have you know that when I first met you, I thought you were a right gobby mare, I won't lie." Michelle sniffed, swiping at the tears on her face, trying to compose herself. "And now, I mean I don't just think it, I know it." She teased, causing a ripple of laughter throughout the room. The sound startled her somewhat, she'd forgotten exactly how much of an audience they had. Swallowing nervously, she flipped the lid of the box she was holding, revealing the ring she'd been hiding for weeks. "But I love you for it. I love everything about you. I know things haven't been easy for us lately, or ever in our lives come to think of it, but I got through it because of you. You inspire me, you make me strong. I'm bowled over by you every single day." She took a deep breath, it was now or never, now she'd built it up. It was to her great relief that she was able to slide smoothly down onto one knee, with the sharp heels she was wearing, Michelle had half expected to topple over. "I've spent practically all my life with you and I never want that to change. I'd like to spend the rest of it with you, too. Carla..." Her voice was shaking with the effort it was taking to hold herself together, barely able to hear own words over the sound of her heart pulsing in her ears. "Will you marry me?"

Carla clapped a hand to her mouth, letting out a sob. It was around halfway through Michelle's speech that the tears had started to race down the other brunettes cheeks, dripping from the edge of her jaw and splashing down onto her front, darkening the pale blue blouse she was wearing. At her question she'd completely lost what little composure she had. It was unbelievable; how was it that Michelle was the one asking her? The younger woman, bizarrely, wanted to actually spent the rest of her life with someone as disastrous as herself? It didn't make sense.

Jumping when she realised the question had been left hanging, she dropped down in front of Michelle so their faces were now level. Her heart was racing so fast she felt dizzy, it was an intense rush of emotion, it felt so much more than happiness. Meeting the hazel eyes in front of her, which were glittering with tears, it was everything; every memory they'd shared together, the heaviness of hardships they'd faced, shared laughter, all of her life was here in front of her. Past, present and now she was asking her for a future. Reaching out, she cupped the younger woman's cheek, it was slick with tears, too many for her to even begin to brush away. Using her other hand, she managed to flip the lid of the box she had by pinching the hinges with her thumb and index finger. Sat on a bed of black velvet was the white gold ring she'd purchased after managing to give Michelle, and the client she'd been busy with in town, the slip for half an hour.

"Only if," She whispered, her voice cracking slightly as she struggled to swallow the huge lump that was wedged in her throat. "You'll marry me, too?"

Michelle fell into the other woman, her arms winding tight around her, burying her head against her shoulder. She was crying so hard, Carla was almost taken aback by her show of emotion, but she brought her hand to the back of her head, running it over her hair.

"Hey, is that a yes?" She whispered, pulling back a fraction while the younger woman tried to gulp back her sobs.

"Yes. Absolutely, yes." She nodded, her lower lip trembling. "You need to answer, too..."

Carla rolled her eyes teasingly, though reached out to place her fingertip under the younger woman's chin, locking their gazes together. "Of course I'll marry you."

It was as though someone had suddenly cranked up a speaker, an eruption of cheers bouncing off every surface of the Rovers. The sound of applause echoed around the room as the two women helped each other to their feet, wrapping one another in a tight embrace. Carla pulled back a fraction to capture the younger woman's lips in a desperate kiss, tasing salt from tears that could have been either one of the pairs as Michelle responded just as fiercely.

They weren't the only ones in a state; Jenny was sobbing freely into the tea towel she'd plucked from off the bar, Johnny's arm wrapped around her shoulder, his other hand swiping roughly at his own cheeks. Kate had been among those who had shouted their approval, she was practically bouncing on the spot, her face shiny as she clapped her hands along with Ryan, pulling him into an excited hug. Even Ali looked a little watery-eye'd, blinking rapidly as he joined in with the applause, definitely more reserved than Michelle's other son who was now trying to get another round of cheers going for the two women. Whether it was him or the small gathering of factory workers, who'd nipped in for what had supposed to be a quiet lunch, a chorus of _Congratulations and Celebrations_ began its round through the room, the song increasing in volume as more of the customers joined in.

Finally breaking from the kiss they'd been consumed in, a splitting grin spread across Michelle's face and she reached down to take Carla's hand, brushing her thumb over the back of it. Stomach flipping with a happiness she wasn't sure she'd ever felt before, she plucked the jewellery from the velvet cushion, placing the box down onto the bar and slid the ring onto her finger. She barely had the chance to admire the other woman wearing it, Carla was clearly unable to contain her own excitement as she mirrored Michelle's actions, placing the now empty box she'd had in her own hand down next to where the younger woman had left hers.

"Wait... is that... are these rings the same?" Michelle frowned, her face a mixture of amazement and bewilderment as Carla took her hand, carefully positioning the ring onto her finger.

"Well would you look at that? They are...ha!" Carla laughed. It was genuine laughter, the giggles spilling from her lips at the coincidence. Could it be called one? They were so similar, after all, but then what really were the chances that they'd opt for the same ring for the other? She glanced up, noticing that Michelle had succumbed to tears once more. "Hey, baby, come here..."

"I'm sorry, I'm just...I'm so happy." She felt so embarrassed, flushing at her inability to control her emotions, but the older brunette took her face gently between her hands and touched a soft kiss to her lips. When Michelle let out another quiet sob against the kiss, Carla shook her head fondly, allowing her to collapse against her shoulder once more.

"Oh, darlin'," She murmured, lacing kisses into her hair. "I love you, I love you so much." Carla continued to comfort her, an adoring smile stretching across her lips as she rubbed soothing circles over her back.

"Aw, bless her, she's overwhelmed." Jenny nodded towards Michelle, having finally managed to stop her own flow of tears.

"I think we all are! That was quite the turn of events, wasn't it? I'm still reeling!" Johnny laughed, moving around the bar and making his way over to the wrapping them both up in a warm hug. "Congratulations, both of you."

"I can't believe you two!" Kate squealed excitedly, having been unable to stop herself from jumping in on the hug. "That was like something from a film. Did you really not have that planned?"

"Did it seem planned?" Michelle laughed, her voice still thick from the heavy amount of tears she'd shed. Thankfully, it seemed she was coming down from the shock of the day's developments. She wiped firmly at her face, erasing the wetness along with the traces of mascara, though she was planning to dash off to the ladies room as soon as she could to sort herself out properly.

"Well no, but I mean-" she reached down and took the two older brunettes hands, bringing them up to be light to inspect the glittering rings on their fingers. "-you even chose the same rings. That's scary!"

"Nah, they were just made for one another, look at them." Ryan laughed, pulling both his mother and Carla into a hug, grinning cockily at them. "Congrats, I'll be happy to DJ at a knock down price."

This sent another ripple of laughter around the group. There was suddenly a flurry of "congratulations" and "thank you's" to get through, as it seemed most of the entirety of the Rovers had wanted to offer their good wishes. Maria had hurried over to them the second they'd been let go by the rest of their family, giving them both a squeezing hug.

"And as long as you're both coming to me for your wedding hair, I'm totally on board with this." She teased, pressing a swift kiss to both of their cheeks. They all jumped as two loud pops sounded from the bar, Johnny and Jenny grinning as they began pouring out glasses of champagne. It was then that Michelle finally managed to excuse herself to the toilet, cringing at the stage of her face in the mirror.

Though her eyes were sparkling with happiness, her foundation had completely been erased from her cheeks, grey smeared around the edges of her face where she'd brushed back tears. Dumping her bag into the counter, she rifled through the contents, pulling out her make up and attempting to fix herself up. She was just finishing dusting powder across her face with a fluffy brush when she heard the door swing open. Carla had entered the bathroom, she was leaning against the tiles with her arms folded, watching Michelle with a ridiculously smug grin on her face, her green eyes bright and wired. She was radiating happiness.

"Hey, you..." Michelle was looking at through the reflection in the mirror, returning the smile that Carla was aiming in her direction. "I was just fixing my make up, I looked a right state after that."

"You never look a state." The older brunette argued, making her way towards her. She slipped her hands around Michelle's waist, resting her chin on her shoulder as she watched their reflection sway gently in front of them. "Look at us... who'd have ever predicted this, ey?"

"We're good together," Michelle replied simply, allowing her hands to fall over where Carla's were resting against her front, making light circles with her fingertips. Carla turned her head her nose nudging into the side of Michelle's neck, breathing in the familiar scent of her perfume.

"I'm sorry about today..." she began, her words slightly muffled as she nuzzled further into the younger woman, her lips pressed lightly against her skin.

"Hey, that's all sorted now," Michelle assured her, letting go of her hands and gently breaking the hold Carla had on her, enabling her to spin around and meet her gaze. "You know I trust you, don't you? It was just the shock...And I'm terrified of losing you."

"Yeah well, you've foolishly just agreed to spend the rest of your life with me." She teased, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "I'm sticking around, darlin', get used to it."

"Are they still celebrating out there?"

"Oh the party's in full swing. Any excuse to pop a cork."

Michelle sighed softly, a small smile gracing her lips. "I do love them, but I really just want to go home and lay with you."

"With or without our clothes on?" Carla smirked, earning herself a playful poke in the side from the younger woman. Chuckling, she watched Michelle throw her belongings back into her back, before holding out her hands, lacing their fingers together and leading her back out into the chaos. It seemed to have got louder still, though most of the noise seemed to be coming from their relatives.

" _Hey, baby, I think I wanna marry you!"_ Ryan and Kate sang out from where they were dancing together, both of their drinks tipping dangerously in their hands, pleased with themselves after playing the most appropriate yet cheesy and unoriginal song they could find on the jukebox. Looking like he'd been waiting for the pair to make an appearance, Ali left his dear and wandered over to them looking apologetic.

"I'm going to have to go and get my head down for a few hours." He glanced down at the watch on his wrist, already knowing he was pushing it for time if he wanted to get some decent rest. "I am really happy for you both." Nodding warmly at Carla, he accepted a quick hug from Michelle before waving at them both as he headed towards the door.

"We'll have one more and then we'll head off too, yeah?" Taking Michelle's hand in her own, Carla lead her over to the bar. No sooner had she opened her mouth to order, Jenny was sliding two more glasses of champagne across to them.

"I hope you're considering this place for a venue." She grinned, eyeing them both sternly.

"Give us chance, we've only been engaged an hour!" Michelle laughed, sliding her arms around the other brunette, her head resting against her shoulder. She wasn't even bothered about a drink, too busy relishing being close to Carla.

"Hey mum, Carla!" Ryan called out, causing them to spin around to where he was stood holding his phone up. "Smile!"

With her head still resting against her shoulder and one arm around her, Michelle held up her other hand, splaying her fingers to show off the glittering diamond. Although she rolled her eyes, Carla mirrored her pose, unable to stop herself from smiling widely at the camera.

"Aw, that's a good one!" Kate nodded in approval over Ryan's shoulder.

"Of course it is, my _fiancée_ is absolutely stunning." Michelle grinned, biting her lip as she watched the other woman's cheeks colour at her words. Carla dipped forward, lightly resting her forehead against Michelle's, stroking the pad of her thumb over her jaw.

"Say that again..." She whispered, lightly nudging their noses together.

"What, that you're stunning?"

Carla shook her head.

"Oh, I see." The younger brunette murmured, her mouth a hair's breadth apart from Carla's, their lips brushing when she spoke again. " _My_ fiancée?"

Closing the minute distance between them, the older brunette kissed her deliberately slowly, unsure if it was her heart or stomach doing funny little backflips that only intensified when Michelle applied more pressure against her lips. These kisses had a habit of making her forget exactly where she was, her surroundings seemed to fall away from existence, her sole focus being entirely on how the younger woman's lips felt like cushioned velvet against her own.

"Please can we go home?" Michelle murmured, unable to keep the whispered plea tumbling from her mouth. Carla pulled back, raiding her eyebrow suggestively, to which the younger woman merely shrugged at, a coy smile forming across her lips as she winked subtly at her.

"See, how did you do that?" Jenny asked in amazement, making them both jump as she edged her elbow between, leaning over the bar. "You just had a full conversation without even speaking."

"It's a talent." Carla smirked, reaching down for Michelle's hand, lacing their fingers together. "Look, we're going to head off. It's been a long afternoon."

"Oh but we're supposed to be celebrating!" The landlady whined, eyeing the two women with a saddened frown.

"I think they're wanting more of an exclusive celebration." Kate smirked, having been listening in on the conversation when she'd headed over for another drink. She eye'd Jenny pointedly, before nodding at the pair.

"Ah. Gotcha." She grinned at the pink that now tinted the brunette women's cheeks, but they soon recovered from the embarrassment now that they suddenly had permission to leave.

"Tell you what, why don't you and Kate get your heads together and plan us a proper do?"

Smirking at the horrified look on her younger sisters face as Jenny delighted in the suggestion, tugging on her arm and instantly firing off a list of ideas for an engagement party, Carla tugged Michelle towards the exit with nothing but a backwards wave. They fell out of the door giggling together, their hands swinging slightly as they hurried down the cobbles, the low afternoon sun elongating their connected shadows and causing the rings on their fingers to glint every time their clasped hands drifted directly into the rays; a fitting reflection of the sparkling future they'd just accepted together.

 **A/n: eeeek looks like I have a wedding to plan, folks! Hopefully the middle of this chapter didn't seem too rushed; there was a lot to get through, so I thought I'd just include the more important points that were needed to get to the finale! Thank you so much for reading and all the amazing reviews and comments I'm continuing to receive. I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I got a little bit emotional with this one, I've spent ten years of my life loving these two hotheads- I felt Michelle's speech from the heart (;**


	19. Chapter 19

**Tw; mild sexual references**

"I'm liking this summer heat." Michelle grinned, swinging Carla's hand in hers as they walked towards the shop together. "I haven't seen you wear that in ages, it looks good on you." The older brunette was wearing a leopard print dress, fitted to the waist before flaring out over her figure, setting off her lightly tanned skin and matching perfectly with her dark hair. The hem settled before her knee and the Michelle was staring completely unabashedly.

"I could do with a few new bits actually, I don't have much of a summer wardrobe." Carla debated, smoothing down the front of her dress with the hand that wasn't entwined with Michelle's. It was a Saturday, which meant the factory was closed and she'd forgone her usual stilettos; it was blissfully easy walking down the cobbles in sandals, though it did put her an inch or two below Michelle, who had opted for wedged heels. She didn't mind too much, she tucked easily under the other woman's arm when she slid it around her, giving her an affectionate squeeze. They were on their way to pay for the subscription of bridal magazines Michelle had taken to ordering when she'd first started up her business.

"Ah, morning ladies." Norris was looking particularly gleeful about something as he carelessly swiped a cloth over the shop window. That was a warning sign, he only ever looked that happy when some poor soul had had misfortune bestowed upon them. "I think you'll find something in today's papers to spark your interest." He hinted, completely unfazed at the way Carla narrowed her eyes, looking thoroughly unamused. She was just about to ask him to spit it out, when the door to the Kabin opened and Steve McDonald came striding into view, clutching that morning's paper under his arm. They both caught sight of the front page at the same time, a huge, sickening photo of Robert printed across it, his dark eyes glinting at the camera, mouth set in a serious line. Michelle reached out, snatching it from underneath him.

"Oi!" He gasped, his mouth falling open, the gormless expression giving Carla the inappropriate urge to laugh, which she just about managed to suppress.

"Oh, shut it." Michelle dismissed, waving her hand at him as she unfolded it. He didn't argue back, he wouldn't have dared, just muttered pointedly about bare faced cheek as he stormed off, throwing her a sulky scowl over his shoulder. Splashed across the cover of the huge newspaper tabloid in bold, black lettering was the thoroughly unoriginal and least catchy headline: 'Local business owner jailed for assault'. Michelle quickly flipped the pages, almost dropping half of the paper in her haste to spread it open, her wide eyes scanning down the page.

" _Three years?"_ She gasped in disbelief, shaking her head. "Is that all? But he's got previous! Oh, we should have gone..."

"Well, we couldn't. It was Aidan's inquest." Carla sighed, letting her hand rest on her shoulder. "Come on, 'Chelle, it's the best we could have hoped for. He'll have used his addiction as mitigating circumstances, won't he? And I can't see him waltzing back onto the street even in three years time, can you?"

Her hazel eyes scanned the article and she let out a sigh, shrugging her shoulder in reluctant agreement. "Suppose not," She grumbled, biting her lip as her brow furrowed in frustration, allowing her gaze to drift over the words, finally managing to take them in. An angry scoff left her mouth and she shook her head, shaking the paper vigorously to straighten out the crease in its pages.

"Listen to this!" She cried furiously, her eyes widening as she cleared her throat, starting to read the column. " _His victim,_ Carly _Connor, was said to be having an ongoing illicit affair with her cousin Michelle Connor, who, incidentally, was Robert Preston's former fiancée."_ She finished incredulously, carelessly crunching the paper up into a ball with gritted teeth. "I can't believe it. You're _not_ my flippin' cousin!"

"His victim?" Carla scoffed, resenting the title she'd been given. "I can't believe they got my name wrong!"

Michelle turned to face her, raising her eyebrow is disbelief. "That's the part you're focusing on? Not the so called illicit, incestuous affair?"

"Oh, no one's going to take notice of that rubbish." She brushed off, taking the ruined paper from Michelle and tossing it into the bin where it belonged. "I've had worse said about me. What's new, ey?"

Giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, she pushed open the shop door and lead the other woman inside. Sally and Gina were so intent engaged in their conversation that they hadn't even noticed the two women walk in.

"-And I always thought they seemed too close. I asked our Sophie if she suspected-"

"What do you mean too close? Give over, don't pretend you ever suspected!" Sally's sister laughed in her face, much to the other woman's chagrin.

"You weren't around here back then, you didn't see how they cosied up together in that office. For all we know, this affair could have been going on for-"

"My, there _are_ a lot of faces in here this morning". Carla griped, causing the two to to jump in shock. Having been the only two in the shop, they looked highly confused until she added "congratulating us on our engagement yesterday, stood here gossiping about us today. Should I really continue to employ such a fickle workforce?" She turned to Michelle with a puzzled frown, as though debating the idea, struggling to hide the smirk from her lips when the pair started to stutter their apologies.

"Oh just get out of my sight, you're going to make me lose my appetite and 'Chelle's treating me to breakfast. Aren't you, darling?"

Now that _was_ news to the younger woman.

"Oh, am I now?" She laughed, sliding an arm around her waist, shaking her head at the other woman's cheek.

"Yeah. I want to show off my new bling to Roy." Holding her hand out in front of her, she splayed her fingers, admiring the glittering ring on her finger, before a wave of disappointment splashed over her features. "I bet somebody's already told him," she sighed, her brow furrowing. "We should have stopped by yesterday, really, shouldn't we? Only you were too busy dragging me to-" She broke off, coughing awkwardly as she realised that Rita was still waiting patiently to serve them, though she'd tactfully started to fuss with the charity box on the counter, straightening its position.

"Yes and you really tried your best to stop me." Michelle rolled her eyes, giving the older brunette a gentle dig in the side for insinuating she was to blame.

The younger woman couldn't quite look Rita in the eye while settling up what she owed, though thanked her when she offered them both her well wishes. Linking hands once more as they left the shop, they focused on the news they'd wanted to share with the world, rather than the garbage that had been printed in the local rag. Michelle was just starting on the subject of how they were going to break the news to her parents, when an unwelcome cackle rang in their ears.

"Aw, look, it's the kissing cousins." Tracy chortled, a malicious grin forming across her amused face as she walked towards them, clearly intent on winding the pair up.

"I wouldn't start if I were you, mood this one's in." Carla nodded towards Michelle, smirking slyly. She didn't think the likes of Tracy Barlow could dampen her spirits that morning. What was more surprising was that the article she'd clearly read was barely an inconvenience. What did she care what some subpar journalist had wrote about her? So a few people she'd never met before would make a judgement on her morals, it wasn't the end of the world. Everyone on the street had exchanged unpleasantries with her at some point. Carla had a family, one that loved her, supported her, it had arrived late and unexpectedly but now she couldn't imagine ever being here without them and she was going to marry Michelle. As long as neither of those things changed, the rest of the world could drop to pieces for all she cared.

"I can't believe you're getting spliced. I mean, Michelle, have you got a death wish? Look at everyone who gets involved with her."

"If you're fond of having teeth in your mouth, I suggest you close it." Michelle snapped, taking obvious offence to the way she was speaking about Carla. Beside her, the other brunette placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Ignore her, you know she's always been bitter."

"Bitter? No, I'm just passing along a friendly warning that's all. I mean look where Robert's ended up because of her. You're like the Black Widow of Weatherfield." She continued to goad, looking delighted when Michelle hurled herself forward, only to be pulled back by Carla.

"'Chelle, don't, she really isn't worth it." The older woman reached up to place her hand on Michelle's cheek, turning her head so they were facing one another. She looked livid, breathing heavily through her nose. If looks could kill, Tracy Barlow wouldn't have been able to find another breath to force out a second bark of laughter. She stalked off with an air of accomplishment, satisfied that she'd managed to provoke at least one of them into such a reaction.

"Sorry...I hate people saying things about you." Michelle murmured, reaching out to tuck a strand of Carla's hair behind her ear, allowing her fingertips to linger. "And now that article's out, I'm just so mad. It's Robert at fault yet they've tried to taint your name."

"Oh my name's already tainted around here," Carla laughed, wrapping her arms around the other woman and pulling her into a firm hug, rubbing calming circles over her back. "Do you think I care about any of that? Or is it because I've tainted your name too?"

"Don't be stupid!" Michelle pulled back, looking perplexed at the mere suggestion. Carla was smirking, having only been winding the younger woman up herself. Rolling her eyes, she gave her a scolding tap on the shoulder, before allowing her arm to resume its position around her waist and continuing to head towards Roy's Rolls.

It was bustling in the cafe, they'd arrived right in the midst of the weekend breakfast rush. The owner was completely absorbed in buttering toast, sliding plates of it across the counter to customers while Shona passed around mugs of tea and coffee around the full tables. Further back, Alex was hovering over a spitting grill, prodding at bacon with a pair of tongs. Roy glanced up when they entered, Carla earning herself a few titters as she bypassed the queue and sauntered straight behind the counter.

"I've got some news for you," She grinned, practically bouncing on her heels in excitement.

"I did happen to come across the article..." Roy began, trailing off when Carla shook her head, waving her hand carelessly. He was an intelligent man, the ring on her finger flashed in the light as she'd raised her hand and his attention was drawn to it at once. "Ah, I see. Admittedly I'd heard rumours, but I'm not one to indulge in idle gossip."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I really wanted to tell you myself." Carla looked guilty, flashing him an apologetic smile as she held up her hand, allowing him a better view of the jewellery. "Michelle asked me and... well, obviously I agreed."

Hovering by the counter, the younger brunette was biting her lip, looking almost nervous, as though waiting for his approval. Which, Carla supposed, must have meant a lot to her. Michelle knew she considered him a father figure and could only imagine the role would definitely be reversed when it came to breaking the news to Helen and Barry.

"Well then I'd like to offer my congratulations to the both of you. I must say, it's extremely pleasing to see you so happy."

Unable to contain herself, Carla wrapped the surprised man in a hug; he looked taken aback for a moment before returning it somewhat hesitantly, giving her a pat on the back. Michelle watched them with a smile, as amusing as the scene was, it was also touching; they were such an unlikely pair, but Carla didn't bond with many and she supposed neither did Roy. It was nice to see that there was someone else Carla could put her trust into, because it was a bit of an understatement that she was a stubborn cow at times and he was one of the few people whose advice she seemed to listen to.

"Thanks, Roy," Michelle nodded at him as the pair broke apart and Carla gestured behind her shoulder.

"Hey, grab that table would you, 'Chelle? I'll be over in a second."

Turning around, Michelle spotted the table in question, which had just been vacated by two builders, both of them in fluorescent work vests, and made her way over to it. Alex had made his way over so he could wipe it down for her, offering her a friendly smile in return for her thanks.

"That's not a proper breakfast." Michelle scolded as Carla slid into the seat opposite her, placing a huge wedge of Manchester tart between them, laying two forks beside it.

"Well we've got bacon sandwiches on the way. I thought we'd celebrate. Plus, I'm starving after last night. And this morning." A hint of a smirk played across her lips, leaning back slightly so that Shona could set down the coffees she'd carried over for them.

"I hear congratulations is in order." She smiled, examining the ring on Carla's finger with interest when the older brunette had held out her hand, her eyes alight with joy. Michelle tilted her head to the side, watching her, happiness warming through her chest. The other brunette seemed different even to her, shrugging off gossip, not fighting with Tracy in the street. She'd never really understood the expression 'glowing'. How could someone physically glow? Unless they'd had a bodged fake tan job. But looking at her, that's exactly what she was doing, light musical laughter tumbling from her lips. Michelle hadn't even been paying attention to what Shona and her fiancée were finding so amusing, her sole focus being on the gleaming smile across Carla's face, the way her chestnut hair rippled as her shoulders shook, the tip of her tongue running over the edge of her teeth as she turned back to face Michelle, the waitress moving on to the table behind them, beginning to wipe it down. She was shaken back to planet Earth when the older brunette slid a fork across her table, cocking her eyebrow.

"Come on, lets be bad." She grinned, stabbing her own into the cake between them.

"If sharing a slice of cake for breakfast is 'bad', then what was last night?" Michelle quietly teased, playfully stopping the cutlery in Carla's hand by wedging the point of hers between the slots.

"Oh, that was nothing short of criminal, darlin'," Her eye's had darkened, a sultry pout on her mouth as she dragged her gaze purposefully over the younger woman's form, drinking her in as the memory of the night before swam to the front of her mind. "I had no idea you were that flexib-"

"Carla! Shut up!" Michelle hissed, brushing furiously as she glanced around the crowded cafe. Thankfully, the place was buzzing with enough idle chatter that her comment seemed to have been lost in it.

"Seriously, do you think you'll be able to get into that position ag-"

"You'll be in the position of ex-fiancée if you don't stop running your mouth!"

It was highly amusing, watching the younger woman blush hotly, her worried eyes darting around the room once more, but it seemed no one was interested in them. Maybe they hadn't read the paper yet.

"Touchy today, aren't you? Maybe we should have stayed in bed, tried for a hat trick. Eased some of your tension." Carla shrugged, using the side of her fork for break off a piece of Manchester tart, before spearing the dessert on the end of it. The scowl that had settled across Michelle's face wasn't fooling Carla at all, she could already see the corners of her mouth twitching as she struggled to keep up the presence of being hacked off at her. Trying to appease her, instead of taking the mouthful at the end of her fork, she held it out towards the other woman, leaning across the table slightly. Taking the hint, Michelle stretched across too, her lips sealing around the sweet mouthful that Carla had offered out to her.

"Ugh, no. You can pack that in right now." The pair turned towards where Kate's voice had sounded, the young girl eyeing them in disapproval, her arms folded. "People come here to eat, you're going to put us all right off!" She exclaimed, inviting herself to their table. "And I already feel grim." Admittedly, she did look worse for wear. Her face was unusually pale, free of make up, her hair thrown up into a ponytail and a pair of sunglasses perched on top of her head.

"Someone have a skinful last night?" Michelle grinned, watching Carla tut as her sister helped herself to her coffee, taking a grateful swig of it.

"I ended up in town with Ryan. He's back at my flat, by the way, passed out on the sofa."

Michelle rolled her eyes, though felt somewhat guilty that she'd been far too occupied with her own evening, and morning, that she'd failed to realise her son had returned home. Kate looked like she was about to speak again, but they were interrupted by Roy, who was bringing across the bacon sandwiches that were apparently Carla's idea of a more suitable breakfast. The girl caught one whiff of them and clapped her hand to her mouth, suddenly rising from the seat and bolting for the exit.

"And if she's in that state, I can only imagine the one Ryan's in." Michelle grimaced, wrinkling her nose and she pulled one of the plates towards her.

"Ah, you're only young once. You forget how long I've known you, I've seen you in quite a few predicaments yourself, Michelle Connor."

It was a companionable breakfast, the novelty of being able to sit down and eat together without someone flying through the door with a drama was something they were still struggling to get used to. The only times they were disturbed was when a few of the friendlier locals stopped to congratulate them while stopping by for take out coffees.

"This is getting suspicious," Carla suddenly frowned, piling their plates together after she'd swallowed her final bite. "I expected far more snide comments."

Having been puzzled by her outburst, Michelle let out a cheerful bark of laughter, clutching her mug between her hands. "Well don't get too comfortable, the day's still young."

At her words, Carla raised her brow, biting her lip. It was amazing how her whole demeanour could change just from that one action. In less than half a second, she'd gone from serene to sultry, barely blinking as she shifted her leg under the table, brushing a smooth calf against the other woman's. Michelle wasn't the only one enjoying the rising temperatures, Carla's eyes had fallen unceremoniously to the plunging neckline of the younger woman's red chiffon vest, having already admired the black skirt that clung to the lower half of her figure earlier that morning as she'd dressed.

"Some would say too young for two people who didn't have to work today. Technically, we could go back and spend the rest of the morning in bed. Although I can't promise you'll feel any better rested, if we do."

She must sit and practice those looks, surely? There was no way that anyone could ooze that amount of seduction so effortlessly. It was almost frustrating, because Michelle knew if pointed out, Carla would feign innocence, as though she had no idea that she'd suddenly dropped her voice a decibel, or that she'd arched one well defined brow in an obviously suggestive manner. Oh, she definitely knew, and would take great thrill in knowing she'd had the desired effect. The younger woman could already feel the blush creeping to her cheeks, she had to swallow roughly against the suddenly dryness in her throat, a sudden tightness in her lower abdomen. As though she needed any more persuasion, Carla dipped her finger into the half eaten dessert on the table, scooping up some of the creamy topping before raising it to her lip, pointedly twirling her tongue around the tip of it without tearing her eyes away from the darkening ones in front of her.

Any resolve the younger woman had evaporated as Michelle suddenly sprang from her seat, whipping her purse out of her bag.

"Roy, can we settle up?"

 **IXIXIXI**

The moment their apartment door closed, Michelle had pushed the older woman up against it in a flurry of kisses. Although Carla had responded with enthusiasm, she couldn't help her breath hitching when she felt her back collide with the hard surface, a small flare of panic rushing through her body. Instantly, the other woman pulled back, looking horrified with herself.

"Sorry, I'm sorry," She whispered, removing her hands from Carla and placing one of them against the other woman's cheek, brushing her thumb against her skin. "It's okay, we've stopped, look at me..."

Carla let out a frustrated sigh, mentally berating herself. It wasn't even like she hadn't enjoyed the other woman moving her that way in passion, she wasn't scared or worried, her heart was still beating with desire, her stomach tightening in a coil of anticipation. The panic had surged annoyingly unexpectedly for that short second.

"It's okay, I'm alright," she assured her, meeting the concerned hues in front of her, catching the hint of guilt that flickered in them. "It wasn't you, you didn't do anything wrong."

Michelle reached down for her hand, attempting to guide her away from the door but Carla refused to move, instead pulling the younger woman back towards her. "Kiss me again. Here."

"Carla," She looked unsure, biting her lip.

"Please," The other woman pleaded, pressing Michelle's hands back against her body, once on her waist and the other against her shoulder. "I want this. I swear I want this."

Finally relenting, she moved forward and kissed her softly, her fingertips grazing the back of her neck, lightly tickling her skin. She was still hesitant, her lips working gently against the other woman's, right up until Carla bit down roughly on her lower one, not enough to hurt, but enough to reignite the passion between them. The younger woman let out a gasp and she used the opportunity to deepen the kiss, sliding the tip of her tongue between her parted lips, causing her to let out a whimper of approval. It was these kind of kisses that sent her dizzy. She pressed her body into the older woman, who reached up and tangled her hand in Michelle's hair, pulling her closer still. It wasn't long before the younger woman needed more of her, breaking away to nip her way along her defined jaw, peppering kisses down her neck, the tip of her tongue swirling across a sensitive spot which caused the older brunette to hum in approval, her eyes fluttering shut. Carla murmured her encouragement when the younger woman's hands made their way around her back, finding the zip and tugging on it. It suddenly felt a lot cooler in the apartment the air hitting her suddenly exposed skin as the dress fell from her frame, crumpling on the floor around her feet. Unable to sense the inviting prescience of Michelle's warmth in front of her, her eyes popped open curiously.

The younger woman had fallen to her knees with the dress and Carla felt her insides flip, the pulsing beginning somewhere in her lower abdomen and spreading further down her body. It was the way she was looking up at her; eyes that couldn't decide if they were coffee or olive darkening with lust from under the curl of her eyelashes; silky tresses tousled and ruined, strands of it falling across the wrong side of her formerly neatly parted hair; the way her teeth caught her lower lip, pulling it in slightly, the smirk across her face couldn't be described as anything other than predatory, drinking the other brunette in with a silent promise that she was going to devour her. Carla couldn't wait a single second longer, her knees already weak just from heady kisses and _that_ look. Her fingertips wound tightly into highlighted gold locks, she tugged her closer, suddenly glad that she was pressed to the door as she weakened against it, a breathy cry escaping her mouth as Michelle's head dipped in compliance, her mouth falling into position. . .

Michelle felt almost sleepy, her limbs heavy with fatigue where they were tangled with Carla's. The woman's back was pressed firmly against her bare chest and she was tracing slow circles with her fingertips across the younger woman's arms, which were wrapped around her waist. Occasionally, Michelle would raise her head and dot tender kisses over her shoulder, before settling back down against the pillow, nuzzling into the other woman's hair. She grazed her leg over the now cool sheet, the movement disturbing the Carla, who stirred in her arms and twisted herself around so she was facing the younger woman. The sun that filtered through the curtains emphasised her sculpted cheekbones, highlighting the top and casting the rest of her face into shadow, hazy green eyes blinking sleepily. She opened her mouth and the smooth, husky whisper of her voice wrapped itself pleasurably around her senses, the way Carla had wrapped herself around her body and made her succumb to it not moments ago.

"What're you thinking about?"

"How the hell you managed to seduce me in a backstreet cafe with a slice of Manchester Tart." Michelle teased, earning herself a gentle prod in the shoulder. She pulled the older brunette closer, wrapping her arms firmly around her slender frame and she dipping her head to drop a soft kiss against her lips. "I'm thinking about how lucky I am," She continued, her voice now a gentle murmur as she nudged her nose against Carla's. "I'm thinking about how much I love you, and how I could happily just lay here holding you like this."

Michelle thought she might have seen the other woman's eyes glaze over, but she'd already closed them, shuffling closer and tucking her head beneath the younger woman's chin, nuzzling into her chest.

"I'm the lucky one." Was all she whispered.

 **IXIXIXI**

"I reckon having family owning a pub has its perks." Ryan grinned, sliding into the seat opposite Michelle and Carla, lunch menu in his hand.

"We've owned it before." Michelle pointed out, glancing down at her own menu, her eyes scanning the contents of it without particularly taking anything in.

"Yeah but you never gave me freebies and I was too young to drink anyway."

"You were always nicking crisps, behave yourself!" She argues back, her hand absentmindedly falling to rest on Carla's thigh, thumb stroking over the denim. She was missing the older brunette's earlier attired, but after being crumpled on the floor for hours, the dress hadn't been in any state for wear. Michelle felt like she hadn't been in any fit state to leave the bed, either. She could have quite happily laid there all afternoon, curled up with Carla, watching rubbish television or chatting idly, maybe even dozed off for an hour...

But then Johnny had messaged them all inviting them over for dinner on him and it would have seemed rude to say no. So, somewhat reluctantly, they'd dragged themselves away from the duvet they'd bundled up in and managed to get themselves resembling decent. Saturday's weren't usually a luxury she had to herself; most of her clients worked through the week so weekends were prime wedding planning time, and with Carla now starting back at the factory, she knew their time together was going to be cut drastically and had wanted to make the most of having this final weekend together. The older woman had managed to talk her into agreeing to show their faces for a couple of hours, with the promise of running her a nice bath as soon as they were home and allowing her the choice of what film they were going to undoubtedly not watch anyway. Carla in particular found it immensely difficult to concentrate on television when Michelle was sprawled out next to her; it seemed she had a bit of an issue with not being able to keep her hands to herself.

Having being absorbed in her mental debate over whether to have a proper drink with her dinner, Carla didn't even realise that Kate had appeared from the back room, making her way over to them where she sat next to Ryan. Both of them still looked a little on the peaky side.

"Oh look, it's _Carly_ Connor," She smirked, causing Michelle to let out a quiet chuckle. The joke seemed to go completely over Ryan's head; he'd clearly missed that morning's article.

"Hilarious, Kate," Carla huffed, glancing up at her sister with narrowed eyes, before the thought suddenly occurred to her. "Hey, what's going to happen to the Bistro?"

At the mention of her workplace, Kate suddenly looked glum, rolling her shoulder. "Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe it'll sell? I don't fancy being there lining someone's pockets whose currently serving jail time for attacking my sister, anyway." She was biting her lip, throwing a glance towards the bar. "I was actually just talking to dad about taking a few shifts on here."

"Well I can probably rustle something up for you to do at the Factory, if you're struggling." Carla offered.

"What's happening with all that? After Peter..."

The older woman let out a gentle sigh, slinging her arm around Michelle's shoulders. They'd discussed this, coming to the conclusion that there wasn't much that could be done now that he'd invested. The only reassurance they had was that he was intending to be a sleeping partner.

"Well I'm going to buy him out at soon as I get the opportunity."

It was bittersweet, she was looking forward to getting her feet back under the desk, but the excitement was dulled by the thought of his presence. The last thing she'd ever wanted to do was to become involved with Peter Barlow again, be it only business. A small part of was worried about the conflict it may cause between herself and Michelle, although so far the younger woman had been unusually understanding about the situation. She supposed they'd both been on somewhat of a high since the engagement; suddenly every problem seemed solvable. As though able to read her thoughts, Michelle leaned over towards her, touching a swift kiss against her cheek.

"Either way, we'll manage. Things will sort themselves out." The younger woman assured her, reaching out to move her hair behind her ear, cupping her cheek affectionately.

"Please don't start, you already put me off my breakfast this morning." Kate jumped in, causing Ryan to turn his gaze questioningly to her.

"They were feeding each other." She grimaced, wrinkling her nose in disgust. Ryan's face could have been a mirrored image, his own expression one of extreme discomfort.

"Ugh they were what? That's bang out of order!"

"It was once!" Carla defended, tutting at the pair of them. "We were only messing around."

"You are sickening to be around, most of the time." Kate reasoned, looking to Michelle's son for confirmation; he nodded his agreement, folding his arms defiantly. "And not only are you barley out of the six month new couple stage, you're now also engaged. You're going to be insufferable as newlyweds."

The two women exchanged half amused glances at Kate's words, a small smirk tugging at the corner of Michelle's lips, although the revelation about the suddenness of the engagement had shocked the pair of them. It had been fast, but it hadn't felt rushed. In fact, it had almost felt like a long time coming, something which her son confirmed in that moment.

"Yeah but, mentally, they've been married for years. I suppose they're just making it official now."

They were interrupted by Jenny, who'd brought over a tray of drinks they hadn't even ordered. The woman looked so pleased with herself for having correctly remembered each of her family members favourite tipple, assuring them that Johnny would be through soon to take their order.

"He's just on the phone to Eva, arranging to see Suzie again." She smiled fondly, glancing around the relatively noisy pub with pride. It seemed that Johnny's new venture, as well as the events that had taken place at Aidan's inquest, had mellowed his thoughts about the whole ordeal. He'd dropped the idea of going for custody, not that he'd had much time to think about it after Carla's attack, and had even offered to help however he could in assisting his granddaughter's mother settle into her new flat. Michelle and Carla weren't the only ones who seemed to be adjusting to life after Aidan's death. Although they were far from settled, things seemed to be calming down, ranging somewhere closer to normality. Dare they believe that things were actually going to be okay?

It certainly felt that way, sipping on red wine and chatting with her family, Michelle's arm slung around her waist like it had always belonged there, which in a way it had. The meal was definitely one of the most companionable family ones she'd had, the younger two trying to torment them playfully, while Michelle gave back as good as she got.

"I wouldn't take her on, she's fierce." Carla grinned, her tone turning flirtatious when Michelle shot her a look that was bordering on offended. "I like it, though."

It caused the younger two to groan once more.

"It should be the other way around, we're the young ones."

"Oh they're complete hypocrites." Ryan grimaced, already on his third drink despite having walked in looking worse for wear. Unable to keep up with the pace, Kate had turned to soft drinks after only half finishing the one Jenny had brought for her. "I opened the door earlier and went flying over one of their dresses. Right in the doorway. If that had been me, I wouldn't have heard the last of it for leaving my stuff laying around."

"I must have dropped it carrying the laundry." Michelle jumped in quickly, already feeling the heat rising to her cheek as she tried desperately not to think about the exact situation that had caused Carla's dress to end up where it had.

"I don't believe a word, but it's the scenario I'm most comfortable having stick in my mind. I wonder if Ali can fast track me into all his therapy I'm going to need." He sassed, causing Kate to snigger.

"We're not that bad!" Carla protested, wondering if, actually, they might be. Thinking back on her previous relationships, which wasn't something she found herself wanting to do, she couldn't help but spot that there was somewhat of a huge difference. This one certainly seemed more lively, a lot more intense.

"It's only a matter of time before the neighbours start sliding notes of complaint under the door." He spoke matter-of-factly, eyeing the two in mock disapproval.

"Ryan!"

"I'm just saying, I haven't had to bust out my noise-cancelling headphones since my uni days."

He suddenly found himself having to duck out of the way; Michelle had reached over to playfully clip him around the head, part of her trying not to feel completely mortified that they seemed to be as bad as everyone kept letting on, albeit in complete jest.

"Er, I'm your mother you know? I gave you life and I can quite easily take that away, unless you start showing me some respect, fella." She grinned, watching triumphantly as he tried to smooth his hair back down. He raised his eyebrow, and even though it was genetically impossible, his expression was suddenly a carbon copy of the one Michelle pulled whenever she was in disapproval.

"There is _nothing_ remotely respectful about what you're doing to my dear old Aunt."

The comment caused uproar, Kate dissolving into a fit of giggles, while Carla's mouth fell open at his cheek.

" _Old?_ Did you just call me old? I'm in my prime! Hold him down, 'Chelle, I'm gonna leather him!"

 **IXIXIXI**

Carla jerked awake with a gasp, heart thumping heavily in her chest as her eyes adjusted to the dark room. She took a few deep breaths to try and calm herself down. It was okay. She was safe. It had been a stupid dream. Not too much of a bad one, but she supposed seeing Roberts big, ugly head splashed across the paper that morning had probably triggered off something in her brain. Luckily, she hadn't woke Michelle, the younger woman was still. Carla thought she must have still been in the depths of sleep, until she automatically wrapped her arm across the other woman, a sleepy slur leaving her mouth.

"S'okay," she murmured; she hadn't even opened her eyes, but shuffled closer and pressed herself against Carla, gently pulling her into her chest. "M'here..."

Trying to calm herself, she cuddled into the warmth the younger woman provided, forcing her eyes closed. It didn't fool Michelle, who hadn't failed to notice that Carla's tense frame hasn't fully relaxed into her embrace.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She whispered into her hair, pressing soothing kisses against the top of her head.

"You left," Was all Carla murmured, shuddering at the mere thought of it. "You went back to him, I messed up. Some of the things he said to me..."

"No one said anything, darling. It was just a dream. And I'm not going to leave you, not for anyone." Michelle's voice was still husky with sleep, but she still gave her a reassuring squeeze. Carla placed her hands over the younger woman's, her thumb grazing over the ring on her finger.

It was scarily real, now. And while she had no doubt in her mind that this was exactly what she wanted, that doubting voice in her head was sneering at her, pointing out she was bound to ruin her happiness one way or another. It was the only thing about her that was consistent.

"All I've done is destroy the people who've loved me. I can't bear the thought of anything happening to us. I don't know what I'd do without you." Carla suddenly confessed quietly into the dark, already having to fight against apologising for sounding to ridiculous. Even though she couldn't see Michelle, she could almost feel the intensity of her gaze, she knew the other woman would be frowning.

"Where's this coming from ey? Nothing's going to happen. It's different with us, you know it is." The younger woman spoke softly, her hand drifting down Carla's hair until she found the side of her face, cupping her cheek comfortingly.

The other woman closed her eyes, allowing herself a few moments of peace, trying to soak up the resistance that Michelle was offering.

"I know and I can feel it. The way you look at me, no ones ever looked at me like that that. Or stuck by me for so long. No one's loved me like this and-" She broke off, already cringing at how desperate she sounded, the dream having put her on edge. "I suppose I just don't always feel like I deserve it." Carla winced after she'd spoke the words, her shoulders tensing as though waiting to be berated for her sudden onslaught of self pity.

"What are you talking about? Of course you deserved to be loved, you deserve love from everyone who wants to be part of you life."

Carla scoffed in disbelief, her heart clenching when she felt Michelle pull away from her, thinking she'd gone too far. However it seemed she'd only shifted to flick on the bedside lamp, the room suddenly bathed in a dim light that cast dull shadows against the walls. Startled at the unexpected exposure, she turned her head and pressed it into the pillow, refusing to budge even when the younger woman lay back down beside her, trying to coax her back into her arms.

"Carla, come on," She sighed, gently sliding her fingertips down the pillow she was hiding in and hooking them lightly beneath her chin, pulling her upwards. Very reluctantly, the other brunette met her serious gaze. "Look at me, and listen to me." She spoke firmly, her other hand resuming its position against her cheek, just in case she was tempted to bury herself away again. "People aren't just either good or bad, that's not how it works. We're all human; everyone's guilty of being selfish, making mistakes, throwing judgement, acting rash, you name it." She ignored Carla's murmur about some more than others, beginning to circle the pad of her thumb against her skin. "That doesn't mean that you write yourself off as undeserving. Just ask yourself this, if you were such a terrible person, would you be feeling this remorse? It's time to stop punishing yourself, sweetheart. You've done what you've had to do to get through life. And now you get to enjoy the rest of it... with me."

Carla couldn't answer, stunned into silence as she marvelled once more at how Michelle's heart worked and how such a person had come to exist in her life. She felt her own swell with love, emerald eyes glittering with tears that she was trying to keep from spilling over. Her emotional breakdown had already cut into more than enough of the younger woman's sleep.

"Thank you," She finally whispered, allowing herself to fall into Michelle's soothing hold, her body practically melding into hers.

"You don't have to thank me for doing what people who love you are supposed to do, darling." Michelle whispered, beginning to lightly comb her fingers through the other woman's hair. They'd always had a strong emotional connection, but with their newer, intimate relationship, there were layers of the other woman that she hadn't realised ran quite so deep, even if she knew they'd been there. It broke her heart that Carla had her on some sort of pedestal merely for treating her right.

"I really was a cow wasn't I, when we first met?" She out a dry chuckle, still contemplating the cards that life had dealt her, all the cruelty and then suddenly, this amazing chance of a 'happy ever after', for lack of a better phrase.

"I think you loved the way you were taught to love, at first." Michelle answered carefully, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Which is understandable, considering your circumstances."

"That is the politest way of saying 'yes' I've ever heard." Carla tried to tease, though her eyes still look saddened.

Letting out a gentle sigh, the younger woman's fingertips grazed along her jawline, before gently raising her chin.

"It's really playing on your mind, isn't it?" She murmured, shuffling closer until their foreheads were lightly resting together.

"Well disaster has been the one constant in my life, hasn't it?"

Michelle shook her head, a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth. "You're forgetting something else that has been constant in your life too..." When the older woman looked confused, Michelle tilted her head, capturing her lips in a sweet kiss which lingered for a few seconds. "Me." Nudging her nose against the older woman's, she coaxed Carla in for another kiss. The other woman responded gently, reaching up to thread her fingers through Michelle's silky hair, winding a strand of it around her finger. Although she was reciprocating, the younger woman could tell something was still off, that her worries hadn't quite been quelled.

"Carla...Is it the engagement? Are you scared? If it was too soon-"

"No, no, it wasn't." Carla jumped in to reassure her, allowing Michelle's hair to fall from her fingertip so that she could cup the younger woman's face. "I mean I'm scared, yeah. But it wasn't too soon. I want this." She brushed the pad of her thumb against her cheek; it was the first time she'd sounded so sure about something since she'd awoke, her eyes fixed determinedly on the other woman's. "I'd marry you tomorrow if I could."

"Maybe not tomorrow, I've not got anything to wear." Michelle teased, giving her a gentle prod in the side. Distraction seemed to be working against the older woman's ongoing personal torment. "Carla," She began, a slight tint of pink adorning her cheeks, a shy but pleased smile adorning her features. "When did you decide- I mean because we both had rings-"

"When did you decide you wanted to propose to me?" The other woman fired back before Michelle could finish her question, a mischievous glint in her eye at having jumped in there first. The younger woman rolled her eyes, shooting Carla a look, although took a deep breath as she braced herself to answer.

"I think it was in the hospital, Kate saw me wearing this..." she held up her right hand, which she'd taken to wearing the promise ring now that her engagement one had taken its precious position. "I had to tell her it wasn't an engagement ring and I just realised that I really wouldn't have minded it being. I knew that there was no one else I wanted to be with. I could only picture a future where you were in it."

Carla could feel the weight in her chest lessening further as she listened to Michelle; the younger woman was so certain that they had a future together and she'd always placed so much trust in her, why should this be any different? She moved closer, leaning in for a kiss but Michelle suddenly placed a finger against her lips, biting her own as she raised an eyebrow.

"You've got to answer, now."

The blush set in Carla's cheeks before she'd even started speaking. She contemplated assuring Michelle that it was around a similar time she came to realise it herself, but she couldn't lie. Not to her and not about this.

"Do you remember the first time you went to sing at that wedding?" She murmured, casting her eye downwards, suddenly very interested in the intricate lacing that bordered the neckline of the white vest Michelle was wearing, her fingertip gliding over the pretty detailing. "You were wearing that dress, you looked beautiful. And then Ryan came over looking all smart in that suit and...I don't know, 'Chelle, it was just kind of like, wow, this is my family...my future." She swallowed, trying to diffuse the seriousness as she continued. "I mean, if that wedding you were going to could have squeezed another set of vows in, I'd have seriously contemplated it. Dressing gown be damned."

Michelle had been listening to her, that same awed little smile across her face, her head dipped to one side. When the other brunette finally dragged her eyes up to meet the hazel ones in front of her, bright with happiness, Michelle let out a gentle hum of amusement.

"What?"

"You're not remotely even the slightest bit icy, are you? You're just a big softie, Carla Connor." Michelle's hand suddenly fell to the other woman's sides, fingertips lightly pressing into her skin as she began to tickle her. Carla instantly crumpled, letting out a squeal of laughter, trying to fend the other woman off. They rolled around the bed together, the older woman trying, and failing, to prise Michelle's hands from where they were fluttering over her stomach, her actions only coming to halt when she found herself hovering over Carla. Carefully, she combed the older brunette's hair away from her face, gazing down at her in complete adoration, before sealing the gap between them. It was such a rainy and loving kiss, Carla melted into it completely, responding just as softly.

"Do you feel better?" Michelle whispered, moving to lay at the side of her once more, propping herself up on her elbow, head resting against her hand as she watched the other woman.

Carla nodded, green eyes serious with the sincerity of her answer. The fear that she'd woken up with had slowly ebbed away; Michelle's constant reassurance had started to grind down against the doubts that tried to tower up in her mind. Holding out her arms, she gestured for the younger woman to lay against her, wrapping both of her arms firmly around a slender waist and pulling her body flush against her own. There wasn't an inch between them, with her chest pressed up against Michelle's back, their limbs tangled together as Carla dotted kisses over her shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of her.

Even her presence alone brought her so much comfort, made her feel completely at ease. She didn't often hold the younger woman like this and she was only now realising that it was definitely something she wanted to do more of; there was something about being able to hold Michelle against her that affirmed the fact that she was here, she was hers to hold and love. The younger woman was clearly relishing in the novelty of their position; she swivelled her head around to offer her a content smile, nose wrinkling fondly when Carla pressed a tender kiss against her forehead.

"I never used to believed in all that soulmate rubbish, you know? Thought it was just a big myth." Carla mused quietly, wondering if it was more to herself, though didn't mind sharing the thought with Michelle.

"And now?" The younger woman asked, her voice already weakening with sleep. Carla pushed herself up slightly, leaning over her so she could reach the bedside lamp, flicking the switch off the the room was basked in black once more, before settling back down against Michelle, her lips hovering by the side of her head as she spoke out quietly into the darkness.

"And now, I'm finally marrying mine."

 **A/n: Thank you for reading! Hopefully this chapter tied up a few loose ends. I'm looking forward to including Factory scenes, now! I've missed her place... Lots of love to you all for all the support I'm continuing to get!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Tw; explicit scenes**

"Ooh hello you, long time no see!" Sean greeted as Michelle stepped through into the factory, the familiar whirl of machines humming in the background. She could have said the same. It did seem like ages since she'd been able to drop by. Now that Carla was working full time and Michelle's own haphazard diary meant she could be dotting in and out of Weatherfield at any given moment, the only time they'd properly seen one another over the last week was when they'd fallen into bed, completely exhausted. She'd already warned the older brunette on several occasions about diving in head first when her body was no longer used to that, but Carla was relentless.

"Well, I thought I'd come and make sure madam in there had a decent lunch." She nodded towards the office, where Carla was hunched over her desk, nose practically rubbing against the surface as she scribbled something down, chatting animatedly into the phone her other hand was pressing against her ear. "Has she had a break?"

"I took her a coffee about an hour ago," Sean shrugged, peering nosily into the carrier bag that was loosely swinging from Michelle's hand.

"I made her one this morning, too." Beth chipped in, inviting herself into their conversation, any excuse to down tools for a second.

"She asked me for one as well when I went to tell her my machine was playing up." Fizz added to the discussion without even glancing up, still continuing the smooth, fluid motion of running the garment she was working on against the needle.

Michelle rolled her eyes, letting out a quiet wince. Three coffee's, no break and no lunch by the looks of things. No wonder she was collapsing into bed every evening. "Honestly, it's like having another child to take care of sometimes."

"Oh, you thrive on it really. You don't fool me." Sean teased, before suddenly clapping his hands together, looking excited. "Can I see your ring, then?"

Unable to stop a grin spreading across her lips, Michelle held up her hand, splaying her fingers as she flaunted the dazzling diamond on her finger. He admired it appreciatively, prompting Beth to slope over for a gawp.

"That must have cost a bob or two, flippin' 'eck." She murmured, eyeing it up impressively.

"Not half," Michelle laughed, clocking their confused faces before adding. "I got Carla the same one."

"I can't believe we missed it. All those lunchtimes I spend in the Rovers and the one time we nip to the cafe instead, we miss out on one hell of a ding dong _and_ a proposal." Beth tapped Sean moodily on the shoulder, causing him to let out a tut of annoyance. "That's your flipping fault! You're obsessed now he's started serving that Manchester tart."

Michelle bit her lip, trying hard not to think about the exact memory she associated with that particular dessert. She had to fight to keep the blush from her face. Realising she hadn't been as inconspicuous as she'd hoped, she cleared her throat awkwardly, opening in her mouth to try and divert the topic of conversation. Before she had chance to even grasp a subject, the office door squeaked open and Carla's unimpressed tone filled the air.

"Oi, what's going on here? I pay you to sit and stitch not stand and-" She broke off, realising the cause of Beth and Sean's distraction. Pursuing her lips, she folded her arms across her chest, leaning against the doorframe. She had one eyebrow raised cockily and Michelle had the strongest urge to march up to her and kiss the arrogance from her face. "Oh, I see. I hope you've got a good reason for striding in here and distracting my staff, girl." She turned to Beth pointedly, prompting her to slope off sulking to her seat.

" _Girl?"_ Michelle's own brows flew towards her hairline, unable to resist teasing the other woman further. "I think you'll find I'm all woman, darlin'."

Carla opened her mouth, about to respond when Sean's sarcastic tone cut through the air.

"Now, now, Mrs C, we rely on you to sit at your desk keeping those contracts rolling in for us all, not to stand there and flirt."

If it had been anyone else, they might not have got away with it, but she merely snatched a pair of underwear from the reject bin and scrunched the material up, hurling them in his direction for his cheek. She'd tried, and failed, to look annoyed, an amused cackle leaving her lips as the red lace and cotton managed to catch him in the face. Happy Carla made for a certainly more tolerable boss. He unfolded the garment and inspected them, a frown marring his features.

"Hey these aren't bad, how comes they're in the bin?" He frowned, stretching them out and holding the lace band up against Michelle's waist, a wry smile forming across his features. "Does she get you to model all the designs, now?"

"Sean!"

Michelle laughed loudly, taking the rejected underwear from him and walking over to place them back into the bin, throwing him a smug glance over her shoulder.

"She wishes."

A sheepish grin spread across her face as she caught Carla's frown, her eyes narrowed disapprovingly. The older brunette beckoned her over with one ominous finger and, though she rolled her eyes, obediently followed Carla through into the office.

"I feel like I'm back at school, about to be told off by the headteacher for leading my friends astray." She grinned, closing the door behind her.

"What, like you did me?" Carla smirked, placing her hands either side of the other woman, resting them against the door and effectively hemming her in.

Michelle swallowed, her gaze falling momentarily the slim gap between them, before flickering up to meet the wired green hues before her. Having been fully expecting Carla to tell her off, she was pleasantly surprised at this outcome. "Yes, well, you grassed me up. You told the headmistress that skipping class to smoke behind the bike sheds was all my idea."

"It was!" Carla insisted, giving her shoulder a firm poke. "They automatically assumed it was me and I just corrected them, that's all."

"But you're older. You should have known better. You shouldn't have encouraged me." Michelle reiterated her old form tutor's comment almost word for word; the man had had somewhat of a soft spot for Michelle, apparently he thought she could do no wrong and on hearing that the young girl had been disgraced, he'd jumped to her defence, trying to save her a detention by pointing out Carla's reputation was hardly one that was glowing and hinting that Michelle had been a model pupil until she'd started hanging around with the other girl. "My mum went absolutely ballistic, she said I couldn't be around with you anymore. She said you were a bad influence."

Carla let out a snort of laughter, rolling her eyes at the recollection of Helen's complete overreaction to finding out exactly why Michelle Connor and Carla Donovan were required to serve a late Friday afternoon detention. "Nothing much has changed, ey? She _still_ thinks I'm a bad influence even though, technically, _this,"_ she paused to wave a finger between the two of them, "was also something you started."

Michelle's nose wrinkled, hazel eyes scrunching as an impish giggle sounded from between her lips. She reached out, pulling Carla's small frame flush against her own, their faces a hairsbreadth apart. "And, very much like back then, you didn't exactly take a lot of persuading, did you?" Raising a presumptuous brow, she reached up and tipped the other woman's chin, her voice dropping to a low murmur. "Have you always struggled to resist me?"

Tilting her head, Carla inched closer, as though about to seal the gap between them, though retracted at the last second, a cocky smirk of her own forming across her lips which were now a very safe distance from Michelle's.

"Full of yourself, aren't you?" She tittered, though it had taken an embarrassingly large amount of restraint for the older brunette to spin around and sit back down in her chair, pulling herself under the desk as she settled in front of the computer screen.

With her heart beating slightly faster than it had been, Michelle sauntered over to where she was sat and perched herself on the desk, finally dropping the bag she'd brought with her next to the keyboard that Carla's hands were hovering over. "And you're full of caffeine, according to that lot out there. What this about you not having proper breaks and skipping lunch?"

Casting a furtive glance over her shoulder towards her workforce, she let out a huff of annoyance. "Have you had them spying on me?"

"No, but thank you for the idea. I'll have them keep an eye on you." She nudged the bag further towards Carla, silently prompting her to stop typing and open it. Shooting her a look, her fingers left the keyboard and she peered into the white plastic, letting out a bark of laughter.

"Have you made me a packed lunch? Thanks, _mum."_

Looking unimpressed, Michelle reached into the bag and pulled out the plastic container, pulling the lid off and pushing the keyboard even further away from Carla.

"You're so annoying." The older woman murmured, glancing unenthusiastically at her lunch, it seemed Michelle was trying to give her a bit of a health kick. "What's in this?" She pointed to the sandwich, inspecting it meticulously. Truth be told, she didn't feel particularly hungry, although that was probably because her lack of keeping up with meals had suppressed her urge for them.

Michelle had lightly poked her shoulder at her first comment, rolling her eyes at Carla's stubborn defiance. "Chicken salad and it's that expensive bread so you're eating it." She shrugged, leaving room for no argument. Curiously, she picked up the smaller tub inside the box and peeled the lid back, before letting out an unamused sigh. Michelle had chopped apple into neat little wedges, thrown in a handful of blueberries and scattered almonds into the second container; she was grinning to herself, looking impressed.

"What am I, five years old?"

"No, you're a coffee addicted workaholic, who had life changing transplant surgery earlier in the year _and_ a brain injury not long after that. So _stop_ kicking up such a fuss like the child you're insisting you aren't, take half an hour and have your lunch."

Carla glared at her and Michelle stared right back, unblinkingly, standing her ground. It took around three seconds of silence before the older woman's lips twitched, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. The younger woman's tone had been firm, it was definitely her 'mum voice'; Carla remembered similar arguments taking place when she used to try and get Ryan to come off his games console, stop shovelling in crisps and eat something bordering on nutritious.

"Good girl." Michelle teased, purposely patronising the older woman as she finally relented and picked up one of the sandwich triangles, using her other hand to bat the younger woman's away when she'd reached out to ruffle her hair. "Oh, I almost forgot this too."

Carla paused around her first mournful, watching Michelle dip into the handbag on her shoulder and produce a bottle of still, spring water from it. It was cloudy with condensation, droplets of moisture starting to run down the plastic and pool on her desk when she set it down there. Before the older woman could even react, Michelle plucked a couple of tissues from the dispenser by her computer and used them as a make shift coaster. Like she was going to give Carla anymore leeway to complain. Of course, she did anyway.

"That's a big bottle." She murmured, one side of her cheek bulging as she chewed.

"It's only a litre, I want you to start drinking at least one of these throughout office hours, okay?"

Carla swallowed painfully, letting out a groan. "You're pushing it now, lady. God, you sound like Ali."

"If you can drink that much coffee, you can get down a bottle of water."

"And if I do, you'll promise to get off my case?"

With a satisfied nod, Michelle reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Scouts honour."

"You excelled in getting that childcare badge, didn't you? I don't think you had to be quite so literal about it." Carla smirked, cackling when the other woman's jaw dropped in offence and she let out a disbelieving little scoff.

"You cheeky mare!"

Despite having bickered incessantly about it, Carla hadn't found lunchtime to be too much of a chore, not when Michelle was chatting with her companionably. It made a nice change that she hadn't had to dash off, it was only just hitting the other brunette how much she'd missed her over the last week. She'd half considered asking Michelle if she'd wanted to come back to the factory, but with the amount of work Michelle had from her wedding planning business, it would be highly unlikely she'd ever have the time to slot in even as a part-time assistant. Besides, maybe living and working together might get intense, as much as she didn't enjoy time away from her, it was definitely making her appreciate the time they did have together so much more.

"So what've you got coming up for the rest of the day?" Michelle asked, reaching over to steal a wedge of apple and placing it daintily between her teeth.

"Hey, they're mine!" Carla protested, snatching the container away from her.

"See, you didn't want them when I was giving them to you. You literally just like to be contradictory, don't you? You get off on it."

Carla's lower lip curled inwards as she sank her teeth into it, her green eyes glittering as she laid them on the other woman, running appreciatively over her frame. It had cooled slightly in the recent days, but not enough so that the sleeveless black wrap dress the younger brunette wore was weather inappropriate. How could she make something so simple look so good? "Oh, you've no idea," she murmured in response, bringing her hand forward to rest on the other woman's knee, the tips of her fingers just pushing beneath where the hem was resting, so subtle that it could have easily been passed off as accidental. She left it there long enough to hear Michelle's breath hitch slightly, before retracting it, finally returning back to her computer.

"Oh..." Carla suddenly winced, glancing up at the clock to check the time, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "I, er...I have a meeting. Of sorts. It's with Peter." She spoke slowly, bracing herself for the younger woman's reaction.

"Ugh, what? When?" She groaned, suddenly looking as though she had a bad smell under her nose. "I thought he was going to be a sleeping partner?"

"Well he is, but he thinks it's a good idea for us to have progress meetings every few weeks. Just so he's kept on the loop." Carla shrugged, chewing on her lip. "He's due in twenty minutes."

"I'll make myself scarce, then." Michelle murmured, elegantly sliding off of the deck and beginning to readjust her dress.

"I think he's a bit scared of you now, you know? After you shouted at him like that, I don't think he knew what hit him." Carla chuckled, turning back to her screen with little enthusiasm, her fingers fluttering over the keyboard.

"My fist if he attempts to kiss my fiancée again." The younger woman muttered, peering interestedly over Carla's shoulder at the contract she was trying to negotiate through email. It seemed like a reasonably good deal.

"Calm down, Rocky, you'll be getting yourself a reputation."

"Oh God, I sound all possessive and controlling don't I?" She groaned, looking slightly ashamed before dropping her head into her hands. "I'm not, I'm not even jealous or anything about him kissing you, it's the violation of it, he caught you at a weak moment and it was so wrong of him."

Carla's eyes left the screen and she swivelled around to face the other woman, realising she'd taken her joke to heart. Her expression softened and she patted her denim clad lap invitingly, causing Michelle to frown in confusion; she glanced uncertainly over her shoulder at the workforce, before turning back to make sure the other brunette was being serious. When Carla raised her eyebrows pointedly, she carefully lowered herself into her lap, feeling the other woman's arms slide securely around her waist while she slung hers loosely around her neck.

"You're neither of those things." Carla assured her, her fingertips dancing in light circles over her hip. "Well, maybe just a smidge of a control freak." She teased, gesturing towards the desk where her half eaten food had been abandoned. "But I know it's only because you care."

Carla glanced across at the lunch Michelle had taken time to prepare for her, suddenly feeling a lump forming in her throat. All of her life, she'd been used to people not caring, which is why she supposed she hated people fussing over her now. She'd had to fend for herself for so long that she'd somehow warped the idea that someone actually giving a damn about her was nothing more than pesky meddling- something for their own gain and not hers. It was almost hard to pin point when the longing to be cared for had turned into a longing to be left alone; though she distinctly remembers seeing other mums dropping their kids off at school, sending them on their way with their packed lunches that matched their back packs, which were filled with gel pens and reading books and their correctly completed homework.

No matter how much Carla thought she seemed to do wrong by her mother, the feeling that she was at fault always evaporated whenever she spent time with Michelle. She'd always just accepted her, not expected her to be anything other than who she was and she'd been her friend regardless. It always felt like she was enough. The feeling had never really gone away, there was a reason the younger woman's presence made her feel so at ease.

Smiling to herself, she remembers how she'd long since given up trying to force down the muck they served at school mealtimes and instead had taken to stealing the change that had escaped George's pockets when he'd pass out on the sofa, the coins sliding between the creases of the cushions, which she'd use to buy crisps and cans of pop from the corner shop.

It hadn't been long until Michelle had started bringing extra in her own lunch and they'd spend it sat on the field in their favourite spot, sharing sandwiches and sweets, swigging dandelion and burdock while giggling together about their weekend plans or what reason Carla had been sent out of class for. Her razor sharp tongue had been a trait that she'd developed early and it was almost always the root cause of any trouble she got herself into.

"Carla, are you okay?"

She was snapped out of her trance at Michelle's concerned tone, blinking as she brought her focus back to the younger woman's face. Her eyes felt slightly wetter than usual and judging from the way the younger woman's expression had softened, it must have been more noticeable than she'd hoped. Lifting her hands, she brought them to Michelle's face, cupping her cheeks and allowing her thumbs to brush against the other woman's skin; she felt so warm, soft, she was beautiful in the way that radiated from the inside, made her glow on the outside. "Sometimes it just hits me... How much I love you, how insanely lucky I am." Carla murmured, leaning closer until her forehead was resting lightly against Michelle's. "Thank you, for looking after me. For nagging at me to eat, making sure I don't collapse from a caffeine overdose and always having my back. I know I'm a bit difficult, but I appreciate it so much. I appreciate _you,_ so much."

Bringing her hand towards her face, the younger woman allowed her fingertips to trail affectionately down Carla's cheek, resting them there as she tilted her head, connecting their lips together. It was such a sweet and meaningful kiss, Michelle's lips were gentle and loving as they worked softly against the older brunette's, her other hand sliding beneath her hair to hold the back of her head. Carla's response was just as gentle, her own hand resting against the side of the younger woman's neck, the other still against her hip where she squeezed her fingers affectionately. When they finally pulled back, Michelle took her face on her hands and Carla's eyes flickered up to meet hers. The way the younger brunette looked at her, with those deep eyes and _that_ smile, caused a warmth to spread over her chest, the butterflies to return.

"I love you, too." Michelle whispered, leaning in once more and this time touching a tender kiss against her forehead, lingering there as Carla's arms wrapped themselves around her frame.

The moment didn't last nearly as long as either of them wished it would. They were disrupted quite abruptly by three sharp wraps on the office door, which squeaked open to reveal one of their least favourite people, despite his appearance having been inevitable.

"Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting? You did say half past."

Michelle couldn't quite contain her disappointed sigh as she attempted to wriggle from Carla's lap, though the other woman did wrap a gentle hand around her arm, tugging her back down to deliver a final kiss to her lips. "I'll see you later, okay?" She reassured Michelle, a regretful smile on her face.

"Don't overdo it tonight, yeah?" Michelle reminded her fiancée, squeezing her fingers before heading towards the door. Carla hadn't let go of her hand until Michelle's distance from her chair had made it physically impossible to keep hold. Neither of them acknowledged the way Peter shuffled awkwardly, in fact Michelle had ignored his presence completely, as if she could see straight through him, she hadn't even greeted the man. She stopped at the door and turned back around, blowing Carla a kiss. "See you soon, baby."

The older woman watched her leave with a sickeningly smitten smile on her face, ignoring the Peter's obvious impatient sigh. Though at her warning glance, he rearranged his face into an warmer smile.

"I'm still getting used to that," he attempted to joke, nodding towards the exit that Michelle had just vacated through, before turning back to Carla, his smile faltering at the expression on her face.

"Bit of an odd thing to say about a relationship that has absolutely naff all to do with you."

"Sorry, I just meant, well, I never realised you and her had that kind of...you never made any notion..." he trailed off, shrugging, stuffing his hands awkwardly into his pocket. "When did you-?"

"Nope, stop right there." Carla held up her hand, effectively silencing him as she cut across his rambling. "We're here to discuss the progression of this business, not the progression of my relationship with Michelle. So park your busybody backside down and let's just get this over with."

Looking somewhat like a sulky teenager, not dissimilar to the scowl she often saw painted across Simon's face, he flopped into the chair situated on the other side of the desk, clasping his hands in front of him.

"Speaking of progression, I did hear." He nodded towards the ring on her finger, his expression completely neutral. "Congratulations."

"Yeah, thanks." Carla dismissed, digging around in her drawer to find the report she'd drawn up earlier in the week. "Right, pin your ears back because I'm not repeating any of this to you."

 **IXIXIXI**

Of course it was inevitable that after a relatively easy morning, Michelle had managed to get herself caught up in a very long and tedious 'emergency meeting' with a client who'd had a complete meltdown. Having decided last minute that her decorations just 'weren't right', Michelle had been at her wits end trying to find another provider for ones that the bride-to-be deemed more suitable.

It had taken all of her restraint not to snap at her client who, after all that, had decided that the old decorations wouldn't be so bad providing they changed the colour of the satin bows that were to be tied around the chairs and added a few matching flowers into the centrepieces. Although having been ready for tearing her hair out, Michelle had smiled through gritted teeth, shook her hand at the end of a long trek around what seemed to be every florist in possibly Greater Manchester. If she ever stepped foot into another flower shop again, it would be a lifetime too soon.

Carla had listened to her advice about finishing before her eyes had dried up from staring at a screen all day and they were both disappointed that they'd still had a good chunk of their evening cut into. Dumping her keys unceremoniously onto the decorative ceramic bowl that rested on the closest counter, Michelle let out a heavy sigh, gratefully stepping out of her shoes.

"You will never believe the amount of utter _shi-"_

"Shh!" Ryan hissed from where he was sprawled out in an armchair, submersed in some sort of gaming magazine. He'd raised his finger to his mouth, nodding towards the sofa. Following his line of sight, Michelle peered over the back of it. Stretched out across all three cushions, Carla was laid with her eyes closed, her shoulders rising and falling evenly. Her hair was fanned out over the back of the pillow she had her head on, her hand tucked under her face. The rest of her was covered in a soft, grey throw, one that Ryan had covered her with when he'd realised she was fast asleep. "She dropped off about ten minutes ago in front of that crock of crap show about all those housewives," he shrugged, as Michelle made her way around to the front of the sofa, crouching down beside Carla's sleeping form.

"Did she seem okay?" She asked, raising her hand and pressing the back of it against her forehead; her temperature felt normal.

"Yeah, she was just knackered."

"I'm not surprised, she's running herself ragged already over at Underworld." Michelle murmured, reaching out to carefully brush her hair back from her face, her expression softening when the other woman let out a gentle hum. She knew why, of course. Carla was determined not to let Aidan down, she wanted to make the place as successful and lively as it had been when he'd taken over. But he'd be proud of her regardless and she knew for a fact he wouldn't want her health to suffer for it.

"Your tea's in the oven, still." Ryan grunted from behind his phone, having abandoned the magazine he'd been reading, his thumbs working furiously against the screen as he typed.

"She cooked?"

"Well, she put one of those massive ready made lasagnes in the oven and made this weird salad thing. I stayed clear of that, it looked a bit like garden foliage."

Michelle gazed back down at the peaceful woman, smiling to herself as she brushed a gentle fingertip over her cheek, her touch barely there for fear of waking her. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was only just after eight, though was determined to let Carla have her early night if that's what she needed. Bringing herself up to her feet, she made her way into the kitchen, suddenly realising just how hungry she was. It was like some of these clients of hers had no idea that she had a life and a routine outside of planning their weddings. Though she supposed, that's exactly the kind of thing she'd taken on when deciding to go into events planning; she knew if the tables were turned and she was suddenly panicking about a Big Day disaster, she wouldn't have much of an appetite either and all consideration would go out if the window. Glancing at the ring on her finger, she felt her stomach flip with excitement, it wouldn't be long until planning began for a wedding much more closer to home...

She was just finishing washing up her plate and moving to place it on the draining rack when her mobile phone went off. The sudden shrill tone caused Carla to jump awake, a quiet grumble of shock escaping from her lips.

"Oh, god, sorry darling." Michelle looked guilty as she dashed into the living area, plucking the device from the coffee table and letting out a groan of annoyance.

Carla watched the other woman through bleary eyes, blinking them into focus as Michelle took the call. Pushing her hand through hair that was messed up from sleep out of her face, she listened to Michelle speaking to whoever had called her, it seemed they were thanking her profusely, and she was assuring them it was no trouble. She still felt completely exhausted, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth as she yawned hugely, tugging the blanket further around her shoulders. It was only to be expected, jumping back full force into work so quickly after everything she'd been through and she'd not had nearly half as much coffee as she usually would have, thanks to Michelle's meddling. That said, her late afternoon headache hadn't made its usual appearance, so she supposed that it had done her some amount of good. She shot the younger woman a sleepy smile when she finally hung up the phone, walking over to the sofa and flopping down beside her, automatically sliding an arm around her bundled up form.

"Sorry, baby," she repeated her apology once more, giving the older brunette a gentle squeeze. "I thought it was on silent. Are you okay?"

Carla gave a small nod of reassurance, nuzzling further into her, breathing in her familiar scent. It was comforting, pressed up against the soft warmth of her, strands of silky hair tickling her cheeks. "I'm fine, I'm just shattered," she murmured, reaching up to brush Michelle's hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "Who was that?"

"Denise, she's a client. She just told me I was welcome to bring a plus one to the night do," Michelle hinted, flashing Carla a grin before adding. "It's in a really posh hotel in Chester. Rooms still available if we want to stay over..."

"Oh, really?" That had spiked the other brunette's interest, perking her up from her sluggish state almost instantly. "When is it?"

"This Saturday," Michelle opened the internet browser page on her phone, typing in the name of the hotel and handing it over to Carla, who started scroll through the images eagerly.

"Oh, wow, that is fancy isn't it?" She bit her lip, a mischievous grin forming across her features as she tapped the screen to access the booking page. "This Saturday, you say?"

 **IXIXIXI**

"Oh, I think I'm going to like this place." Carla glanced up at the hotel impressively, reaching out for Michelle's hand once she had exited the car, leading her through the revolving door and into the spacious lobby. The light marble floor gleamed in the light from the chandeliers that hung gracefully from the ceiling. There were plush red sofas adorning either side of the reception desk, just to the side of a wide stairway with a deep, polished oak banister.

"You're in your element, aren't you?" Michelle laughed, eyeing the other woman appreciatively. She fit in so well, a sleek black cocktail dress clinging to her body, her hair twisted into an elegant updo, diamond teardrop earrings glittering either side of her face, a matching necklace fastened around her neck. Striding confidentially to the reception desk, her motions were fluid and practiced, heels clicking against the expensive, mottled flooring.

Michelle hung back slightly as Carla checked them in, quickly firing off a text to the client whose wedding she was attending to let her know that they had arrived, and even though she was technically there as a guest, added that she shouldn't hesitate to ask if she needed any help. She tugged her blazer further around her body, biting her lip as she watched Carla saunter back over to her, their key card clutched firmly in her hand.

"There's no way you're mine, you look like you belong on a red carpet in Hollywood." Michelle whispered, unable to resist reaching out and pulling her in for a kiss.

"You scrub up extremely well yourself." Carla smirked, her eyes falling to the sculpted skirt suit Michelle was dressed in, admiring the way it carved out her figure. "Come on, lets dump our things and then we can go and crash this party. I'm dying for a gin and tonic."

It had to be said that, when a wedding wasn't either your own or someone you were close to, the night do was definitely the better half of the event. The hotel's function room was just as grand as the rest of it, tables scattered over the deep red carpet and cushioned, high-backed chairs with swirling wooden arms and solid legs situated at every one of them. Even the 'dance floor' was polished and immaculate, reflecting the blue and white of flashing dance lights overhead. The music had already started to increase in volume and liveliness, there was already a group of worse for wear women, all in bridesmaids dresses, throwing themselves around to the beat.

"No way, Carla Connor? Well I never!"

The two women flipped around from where they stood at the bar, Carla letting out a noise of recognition as they turned to face an ageing man in a grey, tailored suit. It was a former client of Underworld's, one who she'd done business with even before Michelle had worked with her.

"Oh, Mr Renald's!" She greeted, holding out her hand for him to shake. He clasped hers in both of his, offering her a warm smile.

"Oh, call me Grant. How have you been keeping? It's been years!"

Carla nodded politely, exchanging pleasantries with him. He hadn't been a bad man to work with at all, a bit of a tendency to be a little overbearing and the odd few times the brunette businesswoman had wondered whether his friendliness was bordering on flirtation, but he'd never been outright inappropriate. Before Carla could even introduce Michelle, his eyes had already fallen on the younger woman.

"Ah, and I know who you are, of course. Let me tell you, you deserve a medal Michelle. I love her to bits, but our Denise can be so highly strung. I bet it was a hard feat putting together this wedding." He chuckled, reaching out for her hand, frowning slightly as he glanced between the pair. "Do you two know each other?"

"You could say that," Carla smiled across at Michelle, wrapping an arm around her waist. "She's my better half. My fiancee, actually." The way she'd just said it, so outright, so certain, her chest pushed out, the dazzling smile across her lips, her entire being glowing with pride; it made the younger woman's heart swell, an adoring smile forming across her own lips.

The suited man in front of them clapped his hands together delightedly, congratulating them both. "Well, this is a small world isn't it? Come on, you'll have to let me buy you both a drink."

Carla had to admit, she was having fun. A change of scenery had done her the world of good and attending such a positive event where she wasn't the main focus, where she could just sit at the table with Michelle, charring and drinking, occasionally being introduced to the Bride's family who had come up to compliment the younger woman on her efforts, had definitely helped to ease the stress of the last few weeks. She was just finishing a conversation with one of the other wedding guests, whose relation to the family she hadn't gotten, about the spa facilities the place offered when the music was suddenly turned down drastically, allowing for the DJ to request everyone took a seat while the Bride and Groom participated in their first dance.

The two women watched the happy couple walk into the middle of the dance floor. A sympathetic smile crossed Carla's lips as she clocked how nervous the groom looked. She felt Michelle shuffle closer to her from behind as the music started and the two figures began to sway tentatively, the younger woman's chin resting on her shoulder as she wrapped her arms around her, pressing her lips to the side of her head.

They were both thinking it, their gazes fixed firmly on the dance floor, Michelle lacing her fingers through Carla's, who'd brought her own hands up to rest over where the younger woman's were holding her, giving them a gentle squeeze. Carla swallowed, blinking in the darkened room, only the whisper of subtle conversation could be heard over the slow notes of the song that was playing, not one she recognised but it seemed an entirely appropriate wedding song. The groom had grown steadily more confident, now gazing down as his new wife with a smile that mirrored the bride's; they looked completely smitten. Michelle's warm cheek was now pressed against her own, soft lips grazing the corner of her mouth, prompting Carla to turn her head just enough so that their lips met lovingly. Yeah, they were both thinking it. Their turn was coming.

 **IXIXIXI**

"You were right, that shower is amaz-" Michelle stopped short, having stepped out of the bathroom with a fluffy white towel tucked firmly around her body, hair slicked back, water still dripping slowly off the ends of it and beading on her shoulders. Carla was stretched luxuriously on top of the bed, leaning against the plush cushions, her leg bent with one arm curled up over her head where her hair was fanned out over the pillow, falling in loose, damp waves which she'd rubbed semi-dry with a towel. Her other hand was lazily twirling the excess piece of silk ribbon from the bow that was attached to the front of the most heart stopping attire. Black lace wound around the top half of her body, encasing her chest, ending just a little below where the black material flowed over the rest of her, the hem finishing just at the top of her thighs, so sheer that she could see straight through it, enabling her to notice that the underwear she had on were made of the same matching black lace.

Michele swallowed, feeling the shiver ripple down her spine, a warmth spreading down over her stomach, coiling in her lower abdomen. It was then she realised she hadn't even spoke, her darkened eyes had just continued to rake slowly over her frame. "Wow, Carla..." She made her way over to the other woman, her knee sinking into the mattress as she crawled over to her, biting her lip now that she was getting an up close view. There was a flicker of uncertainly in the deep green eyes beneath her, Carla's hand subconsciously falling to cover the thin scar that was visible over her stomach, a move that she hadn't even realised she'd done until Michelle reached down to lace their fingers together, gently pulling her hand away.

"You look breathtaking...you do. Look at this," Michelle held out her arm, tilting it towards the subtle lights from the lamp that Carla had purposely dimmed. "I've got goosebumps. You're flawless." She pulled the other woman closer, lightly connecting their lips, daring to graze her teeth over Carla's lower one, a move that caused them both to shiver. "I _want_ you, Carla."

With renewed confidence that had come from the younger woman's desperate words, Carla swiftly pushed Michelle down against the array of pillows, connecting their lips firmly. Michelle responded enthusiastically, her hands brushing down the lace front, catching the other woman around her waist to pull her closer. She hummed her approval when Carla deepened the kiss, the brush of her tongue sending another ripple of pleasure down her back. It wasn't long before Carla's hands fell to where her towel was twisted securely in place, making short work of unravelling it and pulling it apart, letting us fall either side of her, exposing Michelle completely. Her skin was still shining from the shower, water droplets beading against her collarbone, dripping down her chest. Carla had the sudden desire to erase them with her mouth. The ripple of her tongue against her sensitive skin caused Michelle to gasp, the muscles in her stomach tensing when Carla's hand started to trail over her thigh.

"Don't tease me, I need you."

Inching higher, she tormented the younger woman further, her touch featherlight as she brushed them over slick heat, not remotely enough to ease any of the aching pressure that was building.

"I can tell." Carla bit her lip, looking smug as she repeated the action, her green eyes glittering almost cruelly as she continued to deliver the barely-there strokes against her. The younger brunette let out a frustrated groan, pushing her hips up to try and increase the firmness of her touch.

"Carla." Michelle tone was dangerous, serious, the glare in her deepened hazel hues fixated on the arrogant emerald ones above her.

Carla let out a low chuckle, the sound alone causing a fire to erupt in her lower abdomen, intensifying her need for the older woman. Hovering over her, Carla used her other hand to push Michelle's hair back, trailing her fingertips along her jawline and tipping her chin, making sure she couldn't look away when she suddenly deepened her touch, her fingertips instantly engulfed in a squeezing heat. The younger woman's mouth fell open, her hand flying down to grip Carla's wrist, keeping it firmly in place.

"Don't stop."

The only sound in the spacious room was the quiet whisper of the younger woman's heavy breath, the touch of kisses that Carla was scattering against her neck as she worked against her, coaxing out small whimpers which Michelle was trying to bite back.

"'Chelle," Carla murmured, lightly scraping her teeth against her skin, swirling her tongue across the area. "There's no one to be quiet for, here..."

Deciding that Michelle wasn't kicking up nearly enough fuss, she lowered the kisses she was peppering over her neck, moving them down towards her chest, parting her lips to create a tingling suction against her skin.

"Please...please,"The younger brunette started to repeat breathlessly, her brow furrowed in desperation as her hips buckled against the onslaught of pleasure. Relenting, Carla curled her fingertips and Michelle cried out again, louder this time. "Carla, _there."_

"I know," She whispered, moving her mouth back up to press a succession of quick kisses against Michelle's lips, the younger woman's breathing too frantic to allow for anything longer. "I know exactly where. Tell me what you need."

The heat was now colouring Michelle's tanned skin, deepening her cheeks and spreading across her chest, her body straining as she pushed herself further towards Carla, one of her hands twisting in the bed sheet. Her eyes flickered up go meet the older brunettes once more, almost black with desire. " _Harder."_

The word left her lips in a husky growl, one that ignited a passion within Carla's own stomach and she couldn't refuse her. She had to give her what she needed. It was almost impossible to keep the rhythm when she complied and gave Michelle exactly what she'd asked her for, the younger woman's writhing jerking and frantic, her head pressed firmly against the pillow as her cries started to climb the walls, bouncing off the ceiling and echoing around the room.

Carla was in awe, watching her come undone completely under her intimate touch. The noise that tore from her throat following her release was feral, completely out of her control and it sent waves of pleasure rippling down the older woman's spine, her eyes glued to Michelle's quaking frame. Stars had burst in front of the younger woman's eyes, she was falling over the edge; she suddenly couldn't remember where she was, but she hadn't cared, because it was _so_ good and all that mattered was that she felt it.

Her throat was raw by the time her back had straightened from the contorted ark her body had forced it into, collapsing back down against the bed, her breaths broken and ragged, curling in on herself as she shook against the lightning bolts of pleasure that were jolting every nerve ending in her body.

"That was intense," Carla smirked, biting her lip as she hovered over the younger woman, lightly trailing her fingertips down a hot, flushed cheek. "You haven't had one like _that_ for a while." Her hand brushed down over her chest, tickling along her stomach, revelling in the way Michelle still tensed beneath her light touch, her body quivering. "It's a good job you were laid on that towel. How awkward would that have been, ringing down to reception asking them to change the sheets already?"

Michelle let out an embarrassed whimper at Carla's words, throwing her arm over her face as the flushed across her skin deepened further. She tried to turn her head so it was nuzzled into the pillow, but the other woman reached down and gently tugged her arm away. "Hey, don't hide from me..." She whispered, pushing her damp hair back from her forehead as she spoke. "I'm beyond flattered that I do that to you, I love making you feel that way." Leaning down, she lightly connected their lips. The kiss was brief, Michelle was still recovering from Carla's previous actions, her breath still hadn't returned to its normal rate and her body continued to tremble. She needed to be close to her. The older brunette seized the hem of the garment that had been the beginning of Michelle's undoing, she pulled the flimsy material over her head, tossing it carelessly over her shoulder.

Lowering herself fully onto the bed, Carla spread out beside the younger woman, shuffling closer so that she could wrap her up in a close embrace. The first touch of Michelle's overheated skin against her own as they lay chest to chest caused her to let out an involuntary hum of contentment, her arms enclosing around the other woman to keep her close.

Maybe Michelle could sense it, but her eyes fluttered open just as Carla had been studying her face, taking in every part of her, all the tiniest details that she'd seen so many times but had never fully taken in; the way her hair dipped slightly in centre of her forehead, emphasising the heart shape of her face. She bushed gentle fingertips over the delicate baby hairs that fell in wisps a little below her hairline. They seemed incredibly cute on her, how she not realised just how endearing they were? They were darker than usual, damp from perspiration and they stayed in place where her hand had slicked them back. Her eyes then fell to the ones that were watching her, a hint of bemusement in hazel hues which were deeper, but just as bright, reflecting even the dimmest of the light from the lamp.

"What're you staring at?" Her voice was gentle, a slight croak to her husky tone, strained from crying out.

Carla traced over her jawline, following the smooth curve down to her chin, hooking two fingers beneath it. "I'm just trying to process how someone can be so beautiful."

"Carla..." The blush was back on her face, the younger woman at a loss for words but her lips had suddenly stretched into a splitting smile, nose wrinkling as she moved forward, pressing a firm kiss against the other brunette's mouth. "I love you. I love you more than the lifetime it would take me to find the words to tell you exactly how much..."

Her words wound themselves around the other brunettes heart, pulling the gap that had lingered from every rejection, everyone who'd ever let her down, closer to sealing completely. Carla knew she meant every word and she wasn't just saying them to the hot headed, feisty factory boss, she was speaking to every part of her; the disgraced business woman who'd got herself arrested for being drunk and disorderly, who'd found herself banned from driving for a year; the selfish friend who'd only ever thought of herself each time she'd ran away or put every other relationship before her; the trouble causing teenager who wouldn't ever amount to much, scrawny and malnourished with straggly hair, who thought the world was always going to be against her and so turned against the world, growing up to hit self destruct so that she was in control of taking away her happiness and stability before life could snatch it from her.

"Hey, baby, come on..." Carla hadn't even realised there were tears on her cheeks until Michelle had brushed them away, engaging her in another loving kiss, her lips careful and comforting.

"Michelle, please marry me," she choked out, tucking her head beneath the younger woman's chin, her arms tightening around her waist.

"I already said yes, didn't I?" Michelle laughed gently, smoothing her hand over Carla's back, the tips of her fingers dipping over the slight ridges of her spine.

"No, I mean marry me...As soon as we can...Before the year's out."

Michelle attempted to contemplate the suggestion, but found she didn't even need to. Despite the suddenness of the way thing has panned out, she couldn't seem to find a cell in her body that screamed out it was 'too soon'. In fact, the most sensible part of her body, the one she usually chose to listen to was throwing the phrase 'about time' to the forefront of her mind. She was so certain that the woman in her arms was the only person she would ever love like she did, no one else could even compare, there was no one like her.

"Okay," she whispered, her chin lightly bumping into the top of Carla's head as she nodded affirmatively. "Okay, I will. We will."

 **A/n: I hope this was okay, I might have pushed the boundaries a little further with the intimate scenes, definitely felt like it was slightly more explicit than I'm used to writing so that was very nerve wracking! Thank you so much for all the kind reviews, it warms my heart! I'm so happy people are enjoying this story.**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/n: violent scenes.**

It was somewhat of a miserable journey back to Weatherfield, a definitely air of 'back to reality' as Carla pulled into her designated parking space at Victoria Court. The sun had left the building and the grey, drizzly day was definitely reflective of Michelle's mood. The windscreen wipers had only just stilled the scraping of moisture from the glass, but already specks of rain were beginning to splash across the surface.

The younger woman didn't even attempt to leave the car, instead letting out a longing sigh, flopping back against the seat with her arms folded over her chest. Carla couldn't help the chuckle that escaped.

"What?"

"You, you look like Liam does when Maria tells him he can't have any sweets from he shop." She jibed, giving her a gentle poke.

"Well, it was such a good weekend. It flew." She murmured glancing out of the window with a hint of a point across her face.

Carla nodded in agreement. Truth be told, she wasn't particularly looking forward to heading back to the Factory either, which made her feel guilty considering the fuss she'd made about it. It wasn't that she hate it, she just wished she'd obtained it through better circumstances, wished that she'd have been able to get the place herself. And, admittedly, the weekend had raced by far too fast. What she wouldn't give to be back in that queen sized bed with room service, a sauna two floors below and Michelle. Especially Michelle. Sat against the tiles with a fluffy white towel around her tanned frame, hair slicked back from her face, beads of perspiration causing her skin to glitter even through the haze of steam.

"Carla?"

She was jolted back to reality, releasing her lower lip which she'd bit down against, a smirk twisting across her face. The older woman hadn't even realised she'd been staring at Michelle, who had was looking straight back with narrowed eyes.

"Sorry. I was lost in thought."

"About?"

"Last night," her voice low, husky, causing goosebumps to erupt over Michelle's arms at the mere sound of it.

"Yeah, it was pretty intense wasn't it?" She nodded, already able to feel the heat creeping to her cheeks.

"You can say that again," Carla laughed. She looked mesmerising when she laughed; her head tipped back, chestnut hair rippling down her back, emerald eyes glittering, alight with joy, managing to display almost very single one of her pearly white teeth. The older brunette rolled her shoulder, as though easing a cramp, a slight frown creasing her brow though her expression was still full of mischief. "I swear I've pulled something in my shoulder, you're insatiable."

"Aww, I'm sorry," Michelle grinned, looking anything but as she leaned across the car, placing light fingertips against the affected area, squeezing gently. "I'll give you a massage."

Carla let out a scoff of disbelief, batting the other woman away. "You keep those hands where I can see them, I know your game."

The younger woman's mouth fell open in offence, though she quickly rearranged her features and became a picture of innocence; hazel eyes widening, a hint of a coy smile across her lips, head tilted to the side indifferently. "I don't know what you mean." She tried, instead dropping her head down so that her mouth was flush to the exposed skin of the other woman's shoulder, starting to scatter light kisses against her.

"And your mouth. That's even more dangerous." Carla reprimanded, though allowed the other woman to linger there for a moment longer, before somewhat reluctantly pulling away. Her sigh mirrored Michelle's. "We'll go away again. Soon." She promised, leaning over to press a quick kiss against her lips before unclipping her belt and pulling the car door open.

They had to make a dash for it, the rain was lashing down a lot heavier than it had been. Thankfully they were only exposed to the elements for mere seconds. Carla reached out to gently brush over the raindrops that had gathered in the younger woman's hair, grazing over the silky tresses affectionately.

"Hey, you know what's next on your 'to do' list, don't you?" Carla informed, pressing her finger against the button to call the lift down to them. She caught Michelle's eye, quickly clapping her hand over the younger woman's mouth before she could formulate the inappropriate response that had clearly been in the tip of her tongue, judging from the lustrous glint in her eye. "Pack it in, I'm serious!" Shaking her head, she ushered the other women into the lift, jabbing her finger against the button for their floor. "Well, I suppose it's both our jobs, but, we need to tell your parents."

At her suggestion, Michelle's body sagged, the brunette woman letting out a groan as dropped against the wall of the elevator defeatedly. "Carla!" She whined, tipping her head back in annoyance. "Why did you have to ruin the last ten minutes of bliss?"

"All I'm saying is we can't keep putting it off." She shrugged, linking their fingers once more to pull the defiant woman down the corridor.

"I know," Michelle finally mumbled, digging around her in bag for the keys to their apartment. "Can I at least have a brew first? I'm absolutely gasp-"

She broke off on entering the apartment, her reason becoming apparent when Carla slipped in after her. The place was in the far from pristine condition of that they'd left it. Sprawled across the sofa, I'm nothing but a stained hoodie and pair of boxers, Ryan was snoring peacefully, a games console resting on his chest. The television was playing to itself, repeating the introduction of the start screen to whatever game her son had been playing before passing out. Crumpled beer cans were scattered across the coffee table, among bags of crisps, some crumpled up, some left open and only half eaten. Piled at the end were stacks of pizza boxes, and judging from the smell emanating from the living area, there were definitely remnants of food trapped inside the cardboard. Carla wrinkled her nose distasteful, striding across the apartment purposefully. She'd just wrenched open the curtains and pulled the window open when Michelle's splitting roar cut through the air.

" _Ryan!_ "

Boy was Carla glad she wasn't in his shoes. He jolted awake at the noise, almost falling off the sofa in fright. His hair was stuck up in different directions as he scrambled to his feet, staring dazedly around the room.

"You're back early. Good weekend?" He yawned, scrubbing his fists against his eyes, trying to dislodge the sleep from them.

"What the hell have you been doing? Look at the state of this place!" Michelle cried, glancing around the flat in dismay. "And have you had _that_ blasting out all hours of the day and night?" She demanded, jabbing her thumb towards the speaker that he'd dragged from his own bedroom and placed in the corner beside the television. "You know Ali is on nights!"

As though the sound of his name had summoned his presence, the Doctor appeared in the living room, shuffling his feet slightly. To both of the women's surprise, he looked just as bad as Ryan, pale faced, a half empty can on lager swinging limply from his hand. "Rematch, Ry- Oh."

He'd picked up the console, before finally realising his mother and Carla were both stood with their arms folded; the former looking downright murderous while the latter had her eyebrow raised in bemusement.

"Did you have a good-"

"Mate," Ryan interjected, shaking his head rapidly, drawing an imaginary line across his own neck with his fingertip. "We'll today it up."

"Damn right you will." Michelle thundered, waving her finger between the pair of them. "I don't know if I'm glad you're getting on or fuming that you've lead your broth-" she broke off suddenly, her eyes widening, looking horrified at the slip of tongue. Michelle held her breath, as though waiting for the onslaught of backlash from the pair at her mistake.

"Why don't we head to the cafe for a brew and leave these two to sort this place out?" Carla interjected quickly, cutting through what she realised wasn't the tense silence she'd been anticipating. In fact, neither of the two men looked angry over the collective term she'd used for the pair of them and the look of offence across Ryan's face was for a different reason entirely.

"Ey, ill have you know that _this_ one," he nodded towards Ali, who had dutifully began to gather up the beer cans from the coffee table. "Is just as bad as me. No, he's worse, because he pretends he's sensible." He affirmed, pointing his thumb over on Ali's direction. "I'm upfront about it."

"Grass." Ali tutted, scowling at Ryan, who looked pleased with himself. Evidently they were no longer in trouble. Michelle's glare had faltered, she was struggling to keep up the pretence of being furious with the pair of them. In fact, her expression has softened and it looked as though she as struggling to keep the emotion from her eyes. Latching onto her weakened state, Ryan grinned cunningly, giving Ali a nudge with his elbow.

"We're sorry, mum, aren't we Ali?"

"Yeah," The other man agreed, nodding earnestly at the both of them. "Sorry, mum. And Carla. We'll get this place looking spotless. We just got carried away; I haven't had a weekend off for _ages."_ He threw in for added effect, realising that Carla probably wasn't as easy to get around as Michelle. The older brunette raised her eyebrow, shaking her head at the both of them. She knew exactly what they were doing, but she couldn't been the smirk from her face, it was exactly the sort of stunt Michelle's own brothers would have pulled.

"Come on, 'Chelle," Carla tugged on the other woman's hand gently.

"Yeah, take your girlfriend-"

"Fiancée." Carla interjected, pointing her finger warningly at Ryan.

"Take her for a brew and leave this to us."

"What was that?" Michelle whispered to herself as they closed the apartment door behind them, looking as though in a state of shock. She'd allowed Carla to pull her from their flat and out into the corridor, but she looked extremely shell-shocked still.

"Progress, sweetheart." The other brunette assured her, leaning in to deliver a lingering kiss against her cheek. "I think you've got them both back."

 **IXIXIXI**

"Right, right I'm going to do it now." Michelle braced herself, picking up her mobile that was resting on a coaster in the Rovers Return. She'd agreed to tell her parents about her engagement, realising she really couldn't put off the chore any longer. A pit of nervous snakes squirmed in her stomach, she'd only come along to the pub for a bit of liquid courage and now, three glasses of wine in, she'd decided it was the right time. She hoped their reaction wouldn't be as bad as she was anticipating, Michelle wasn't sure how prepared to be polite she was. The previous evening had caused her enough stress.

One of her clients had phoned her just as she was settling down to bed. The woman had been in hysterics, drunk, claiming her fiancé had cheated on her and the wedding was off, demanding that Michelle pull all the arrangements. Although she'd tried her best to talk the distraught woman down, urging her to get all the facts once she'd sobered up, she'd been insistent to the point of downright unpleasant that Michelle would do as she was paid to. After tossing and turning all night with stress and a whole range of phone calls with the disgruntled owners of the businesses involved, her mood was somewhat sour that day.

She was tired and her nightmare client didn't seem to understand that any security deposits paid were non-refundable, as she'd been told at the time of booking flowers, catering services and music. The page she'd set up on social media advertising her services had now been tainted with a series of negative comments that she'd kept having to remove throughout the day. All in all, she felt miserable and wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed with something full of calories and escape reality just for a few hours.

"It might not be as bad as you think." Carla assured her, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. She'd left her precious Factory in the eager hands of Sally Metcalfe after taking an early dart in order to support her fiancée, who seemed to be having the day from hell.

"This is my mother we're talking about." Michelle grumbled, opening her contacts and beginning the scroll through them. The list has expanded drastically since she'd started up her business; she was considering taking Carla's advice of purchasing an 'office' phone.

"Yeah, and you never know. She might just be willing to-"

"Oh yeah, and our Ry will become a brain surgeon and you'll give up with the booze." She scoffed angrily, jabbing her finger towards the large glass of red beside Carla.

"Er, alright! Don't take it out on me." Carla frowned, her hands sliding around her glass defensively. "I was only trying to make you feel better, it's not my fault your mother's a sanctimonious, self-righteous, uptight, interfering-"

"Oi, that's still my parent you're talking about." Michelle snapped, her lip curling, eyes dark and dangerous, anger twinkling in the brown-green hues.

"Oh is it? I don't know, I could be describing you right now." Carla pointed out smartly, purposefully taking an extra large swing of the deep burgundy liquid in her glass, almost draining it entirely. "You're just like her at times."

Michelle slammed her phone down hard against the wooden surface, letting out an incredulous scoff at her cheek. "Alright then, well if I'm _so_ much like her, you won't want to marry me before the year's out, will you? Saves me a job, that does." She pointedly pushed the phone further away from her, making it obvious that she had no intention of calling her parents.

"Alright then. Suit yourself." Carla snapped, her own lips pushed into an agitated pout. Michelle noticed they were stained a deep purple from the wine she'd been drinking, mentally scolding herself for the way her eyes had flickered down to them, the way part of her still urged her to lean in and kiss them despite how angry she was.

"Fine."

"Fine!"

Michelle turned away from her, folding her arms across her chest. Carla mirrored her actions right down to the way they both turned their noses up in the air.

"'Ey, _kids,_ pack it in!" Johnny called over from where he was watching them behind the bar, fighting like cat and dog. He gestured obviously to the other punters that were in the pub, trying to have a quiet pint or a late lunch.

"She started it, she's tapped in the head." Carla dared to mutter, causing Michelle's eyes to widen, her head flying back around to face the other woman, mouth opening to fire back.

"And I'm finishing it!" The landlord warned them. "If you want to behave like a pair of six year olds, then do it somewhere else. The pub is a place for adults only, I'm afraid." He watched the two women turn in opposite directions once more, both of them letting out huffs of an annoyance. Rolling his eyes, he decided to add, "Ive got Suzie in the back with Jenny and she's being better behaved than the pair of you."

That sparked both of the brunette's attention.

"Suzie's here?" Michelle questioned, while Carla rose to her feet.

"Yeah, but you're not going through if you're going to argue around her."

"We'll be on our best behaviour." Carla promised, making her way towards the bar.

"Yeah, brownie's honour." Michelle nodded earnestly, following the older woman through into the back room.

Jenny was sat with Suzie in her arms, rocking her gently while singing to her, trying to calm the grizzly mood she'd woken up in. It was apparent that Eva had dressed her that morning, she was clad in a short sleeved floral baby grow, coral coloured puffy shorts and an oversized matching floral bow in her hair. It might have been slightly too much, but there was no denying that she looked utterly adorable. With Aidan's eyes and chubby cheeks, even a grumpy Suzie was an extremely endearing Suzie. Although Jenny didn't look too sure, her face slackening with relief when the other two women came through the door.

"Oh, you're just in time. She won't settle and I never got around to bringing up more mixers for Johnny." Standing up from the sofa, she offered her arms out to the pair, gesturing for one of them to take her. Initially it was Carla who gathered the squirming bundle in her arms, though when Jenny disappeared and both herself and Michelle took seats on the sofa, she passed the baby over to a surprised Michelle, who complied and took Suzie into her arms, cradling the little girl against her chest.

"Yeah, you give Aunty Michelle a cuddle. See if you can cheer her up. Much like you, she's feeling a little grumpy herself."

Michelle's mouth fell open again, though she knew Carla was only joking this time. Rolling her eyes, she shuffled Suzie over to rest in the crook of her elbow, leaning it comfortably against the cushion before holding out her free arm, gesturing for Carla to shuffle closer. When the other brunette was tucked up into her, she pressed a kiss against the top of her head.

"Sorry," She murmured softly, giving her a gentle squeeze. "I didn't mean to snap, I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"Because I've never done that, have I?" Carla smiled up at her, wrapping an arm across her waist, absentmindedly fiddling with the lace frill on one of Suzie's pristine white socks. "You can handle one nightmare client, 'Chelle. You're a tough cookie." The older woman assured her, stretching towards Michelle. "And we'll tell your parents together, when you're ready. Whatever happens, we've still got this, haven't we? A family here, us, a future...I sincerely doubt Helen won't want to be part of that. She loves you. It's actually the one thing her and I have in common."

The younger woman's expression softened, an adoring smile spreading across her face as she dipped her head, connecting it against Carla's. "You always know exactly how to make me feel better." She murmured, lightly nudging their noses together.

"You've got a knack for that yourself, she's settled right down." Carla's eyes had flickered towards Suzie, whose own were drooping, blinking slowly as the infant started to settle down to sleep, quiet gurgles issuing from her tiny red mouth.

Michelle followed Carla's gaze, letting out a gentle hum of awe, her chest feeling so much lighter than it had done fifteen minute previous. It was hard to feel down when she had Suzie under one arm and Carla under the other, an infinite amount of love connecting them all. Making sure the little girl was comfortable and secure against her, she turned her head back to the other brunette and moved in for a kiss.

It was soft, sweet, her hand trailing up from where it was wrapped around Carla's waist and tangling in her hair, holding the back of her head. The older woman responded just as gently, taking Michelle's lower lip between her own and tugging against her, earning herself a gentle hum of approval that sounded from the other brunette's.

"Wow, I think I just had a heart palpitation." They both twisted their heads to the doorway, where Kate was leant up against the frame, her eyebrow raised with a cocky smirk across her face. "You guys are just _so_ cute." She teased, gesturing to the three of them. Taking a step back, she leaned out of the doorway and called through to the bar. "Yeah, they're friends again. Don't worry!" Stepping back through into the room, she made a beeline for the arm on Michelle's side, carefully perching herself on it and stroking a gentle fingertip down a sleeping Suzie's cheek.

"How long were you stood there watching us you weirdo?" Carla sassed, glancing up from where she was tucked beneath her fiancée once more.

"Not long," she shrugged, flashing her sister a knowing grin. "I came over to see Suzie, I was going to have a drink but dad said to check to make sure you were both still alive."

"Oh, it was only a tiff." Carla murmured, her head lolling contently against Michelle's shoulder, a happy little grin on her face as she pecked the younger woman's cheek. "She's hot headed, this one."

"Er, pot and kettle, sweetheart." Michelle smirked, using her knee to gently nudge the other woman's thigh, being conscious not to jolt the sleeping girl in the crook of her arm.

"All that time we thought you were bickering when you were really just _flirting_ with one another." Kate pointed out, wrinkling her nose slightly, trying to wind the two of them up again.

Carla glanced slyly at Michelle, raising her brow as she contemplated Kate's words, giving a small nod. "You did say, if you were that way inclined, you'd marry me instead." She reasoned, shrugging her shoulder.

"See, that in itself. I mean, even if I were straight, there's no way I'd marry Daniel. He's my best pal, it'd be weird." Kate insisted, shuffling from the arm of the sofa when Michelle made to get up.

She'd seen the younger girl eyeing Suzie longingly and so nodded for her to sit beside her sister. Once settled against the cushions Michelle had vacated, she carefully passed the infant over to her eager cousin.

"I thought Ryan was your best mate?"

A small pout formed across the younger girls mouth. "Haven't had a look in since he started chumming up with his _brother."_ She emphasised, looking wistful. "Neither of them invited me over for pizza and games when you two went away. I've fallen in the pecking order."

Carla rolled her eyes at her sister's amateur dramatics, pulling herself up from where she was sitting. Though Michelle was acting like she hadn't forgiven her two sons for making a complete mess of the apartment, Carla could see right through her chilly demeanour. She knew full well the younger woman was absolutely ecstatic that they were finally getting along. What shocked her most was how much she didn't mind, herself. She'd slotted into this little family life without even meaning to, without feeling suffocated or out of her depth, without once thinking that she had bitten off more than she could chew. It was working great, with Ryan and Ali's alternating shifts meaning they could happily share a room and on the Doctors days off, Ryan was more than happy to take the sofa, sprawling out with his games console until the early hours.

All that time she'd spent thinking maybe she just wasn't cut out for family life; maybe she just hadn't realised she'd already got one. A good one.

"Right, come on you. We can go and sort out this nightmare client of yours, get to the bottom of it." Carla squared her shoulders, preparing herself for a night of deal making and mentally pushing a few sharp, choice phrases to the front of her mind. If the woman wasn't prepared to back down, she was going to face her wrath.

"We?" Michelle frowned, turning to Carla with confusion across her features. "Don't you have to get back to Underworld?"

"I'm sure they'll manage. I don't want you having this over your shoulders, you've got enough on." She spoke firmly, she'd made her decision. Leaning down, she stroked her fingertip across Suzie's cheek, smiling warmly at her before delivering a quick kiss to her sisters.

"You don't have to, I'm sure I'll manage-"

"Hey, I don't mind. I quite fancy a spot of role play; we can do good cop, bad cop."

"Is that one of your kinky bedroom games?" Kate quipped, earning herself a prod from Carla, who suddenly turned to Michelle, her gaze dropping to the leather skirt that was hugging her frame.

"Now, _there's_ an idea." She smirked, causing Kate to scoff in disgust and Michelle's cheeks to take on a fiery red hue.

"Carla!" The other brunette flashed her cousin an apologetic smile, rolling her eyes as she held out her hand for the older woman to take.

Merely chuckling darkly in response, Carla bypassed Michelle's hand and slid her arm around her fiancées waist, her fingertips grazing against her hip. "I was just joking...I think."

The younger woman shot her a look, catching the fire in her green eyes, which were glittering with mischief. She was pulling subtly on the lower lip, one eyebrow just slightly cocked. Carla stared the younger woman, unblinkingly, watching the grin tugging at the corners of her mouth, watching her fight against it as she tried to keep up an air of disapproval.

"Oh stop with the eye sex and get out. You knock me sick, the pair of you." Kate grimaced, effectively breaking the battle of wits between the two older women.

They bid Kate goodbye, repeating the gesture with Johnny and Jenny as they vacated the Rovers, lacing their fingers together. Carla noticed Michelle looking at her quizzically, her head tilted to the side.

"What?"

The younger woman have a casual shrug, trying to act nonchalant, even though she had that same wicked glint her eye from not five minutes before.

"Is your shoulder any better?"

 **IXIXIXI**

"Hero of the hour, you, rescuing damsels in distress." Michelle teased, nodding over to where the older woman had just left Sinead and Daniel. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. What are you doing in here?" The Bistro was the last place she'd ever expected to find Michelle and had been mildly surprised to find her propping up the bar, chatting to Kate, another one who she thought wouldn't be back.

"Well, Kate was just telling me this place is being sold." She shrugged, moving to slide an arm around Carla's waist. "We don't know whose bought it, but apparently it's business as usual."

"And since I'm not lining that scumbags pockets, I thought I might as well stay here." Kate added, clearing her throat pointedly when it was clear that Carla wasn't taking in a word either of the two were saying. She seemed distracted, her hand clutched firmly around her phone.

"Babe, are you alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, sorry," Carla sighed, patting Kate's hand apologetically, before stretching up to press a swift kiss against Michelle's lips. "I can't stay, I've left Simon in the Factory, I promised Peter I'd keep an eye on him. Those lads are giving him grief."

"Ugh, why are you stuck childminding baby Fred West?" Michelle grimaced, causing Carla to tap her shoulder in disapproval.

"Hey, he's alright." She defended, though couldn't stop the small chuckle escaping her lips. "He's just-" She was cut off by the sound of her phone ringing. When Simon's name flashed up on the screen, she seized in terror, pressing the phone against her ear.

"I bet he wants to know the WiFi pass-"

"Don't you dare move I'm on my way." Carla commanded, suddenly bolting for the exit.

Looking thoroughly confused but concerned about whatever trouble her fiancée had managed to get caught up in, Michelle ran after Carla, almost tripping up over the cobbles and wondering if she should just take a leaf out of the older woman's book and start donning flat shoes once in a while.

"Carla, wait up!" She called out, attracting Peter's attention who suddenly looked outraged that the Factory boss hadn't kept her word and had neglected Simon for a moment. He bounded up towards the two women, watching Carla try to extract her keys with some difficulty, her hands clumsy with worry.

"Why the hell did you leave him?!"

"Don't you dare shout at her like that!" Michelle snapped, rounding on Peter furiously, but the screech of tyres against the cobbles caught all their attention before the argument could escalate. Michelle saw the window roll down, the glint of the barrel that was suddenly peeking out at them. It was aimed at Peter, of course it was, but Carla was stood right next to him, she'd run over to break up the duo's impending row and unless the kid in the car was an expert aim, the older brunette was right in the firing line.

It happened way too fast, fast but slow. It was over on a split second, but time had stood still and Carla saw it all as though in slow motion.

The deafening bang ripped through the air, a flurry of pigeons instantly shooting up from where they were pecking hopefully between the cracks of the cobbles, flapping their wings manically as they rose to higher grounds, finding purchase on the Factory roof, the grey feathers on their fronts ruffled in distress. Her ears were ringing and she was on the floor. She'd hit the ground heavily, it had knocked the wind out of her, pain pulsating from her lower back, her elbow grazed. She could still feel the heavy handprint against her chest, the one that had forced her to the concrete. She'd been pushed. Why had she been pushed?

"Michelle!" Peter's gruff voice had cut through the high pitched alarm that was causing her ear drums to throb. He sounded panicked. Carla shook her head, trying to clear her vision which had become blurred from the disorientation, her eyes screwed up tight as she blinked twice, trying to force them to focus.

Finally, when she was able to see, she turned her head towards the direction his shout had sounded from and her heartbeat froze inside her chest.

He was crouched over a figure on the floor. Michelle's figure. The younger woman was laying limp gainst the hard ground.

"She just ran out in front of us, I-" Peter broke off, watching as the older brunette pulled herself to her feet. She'd only walked three paces before her knees gave out and she was on the floor again. It was only that morning Carla had made a comment about how it was nice to see her in some colour. The blue, lace top Michelle was wearing now had a gaping, black stain over the side of it, one that was wet, widening, seeping further into the fibres of the material. Blood was dripping down her side, spreading into the intricate crevices of the cobbles, a maze of scarlet twisting around each stone. Her eyes were closed.

"No... _NO!"_ A blood curdling scream pierced the air, it made the tiny hairs on the back of Carla's neck stand on end. She only realised it had torn from her own throat when she fell onto all fours with a gasp, breathless, as she crawled towards the lifeless brunette. The jagged pavement scraped against her denim clad knees, smearing dirt across the rough material. She collapsed across the younger woman, her hand falling to the wound by her hip where she attempted to press against it. Hot, thick blood instantly oozed from between her fingers, the sheer amount of it causing her stomach to flip with panic.

"'Chelle," Carla choked out, leaning over her still form. Her other hand dropped to her shoulder, giving it the tiniest of shakes. "Baby, wake up... Come on, wake up..."

"She's alive." Her head snapped up to where Peter was crouched, Michelle's hand clasped in his own, his fingertips pressed lightly against the inside of her wrist. Carla had to bite back the urge to tell him not to touch her.

"Of course she's alive!" She barked, as though it had been completely ridiculous of him to insinuate otherwise, like there wasn't a thick pool of blood emanating across the dusty cobbles. It was then she realised Peter hadn't even been speaking to her, his head was bent to the side, shoulder pressing his mobile to his ear. Her lower lip trembled, but she refused to go to pieces, not when Michelle needed her.

"The ambulance is on its way." Peter assured her gently, taking off his jacket and folding it roughly. He walked around to where Michelle's head was resting against the ground, but before he could reach out to her again, Carla stopped him.

"No. No I'll hold her." Why had she let Peter do it? Why had he been the one to call the ambulance? He'd been the first one to reach Michelle, it should have been her. Carla hadn't done anything aside from panic. Her head span dangerously and she mentally snapped to pull herself together. "Let me..."

She allowed ex husband to help her gently lift Michelle into her lap, cradling her head in her arms, holding her carefully as though she were as little as Suzie. She moved her hand back down to Michelle's side, attempting to stem the blood flow once more.

"I've got it," Peter nodded, using the jacket he'd intended to slide under Michelle's head. The man had guilt plastered across his features as he bundled the material firmly against the blood flow, his worried gaze swivelling to Michelle, who seemed to be growing paler by the second.

Carla had been about to brush a through Michelle's hair before she realised it was still coated in red, half dried and sticky. Impatiently, she scrubbed her hand down against her front, the blood looked even more stark and horrific against the white chiffon of her blouse and there was no way she'd ever be able to wear it again, but she didn't care. Her heart leapt; just as she'd brushed one of the silky strands from the younger woman's face, her eyelashes flickered, a quiet whimper escaping her lips.

"Michelle?"

There was a second cry, this one louder, as the younger woman's eyes opened fully, her face screwing up in agony.

"It's okay, it's okay baby." Carla's hand moved from her hair to her cheek, cupping it gently, tilting her own head so that her eyes were directly above Michelle's. "I'm here, everything's going to be alright I promise."

"He...He didn't get you." To Carla's surprise, a faint smile formed across the younger woman's white face. She sounded relieved as she forced out the choked whisper. Carla pressed her lips together, unable to stop the tears which blurred her vision. They slipped down her cheeks, dripping onto the younger woman's, who tried her best to reach up, her own fingers cold and trembling when they wrapped around the side of the older brunette's neck. "Don't cry, Carla."

"Well it's hardly an occasion for laughter, is it?" The other woman tried to inject sarcasm into her tone, but her voice was still heavy with tears she'd yet to shed, a lump wedged firmly in her throat that she couldn't swallow down. "Oh, god 'Chelle... why did you-?" The rest of her sentence was drowned out by the sob she hadn't been able to hold back.

"I didn't want you hurt." Michelle's eyes had fallen closed again, the younger woman letting out a hum of pain. She was taking short, sharp breaths, panting against the searing fire that was radiating through her body, unable to stop herself from crying out again.

The sound cut through Carla, almost causing physical pain to her own body. She felt so completely helpless, wishing beyond anything that she could trade places with Michelle. If she could turn back time and keep her out of danger, she'd do it in a heartbeat. Whoever that bullet had been aimed at, it should never have hit her. Not Michelle. Dipping her head, Carla lightly touched her own against the younger brunette's. The implication of her actions was only just beginning to hit her fully. It was an expression that she'd heard being used carelessly all the time. It was never one she'd ever wanted Michelle to take literally. White hot panic was still burning in her chest, spiking across her shoulders and down her back. The younger woman was shivering in her arms and Carla held her closer, dropping a light kiss against her forehead.

"You're going to be okay, 'Chelle, just stay with me." She pleaded, tears flowing thick and fast once more.

There was a crowd by this time, of course there was. The sound alone had probably attracted half the street and it had never taken long for bad news to travel around. Carla wished they lived somewhere quiet, somewhere they couldn't be gawped at like their misfortune was a circus attraction. Then again, there wouldn't be anything to stare at if they moved to an area where they could walk down the street without having to hop over bullets. Only Michelle had hopped straight in front of it, for no other reason than to keep her safe.

"Oh my god, are you okay Peter?" Carla's head shot up angrily, the man himself looking incredulous as Tracy hurried towards the three of them.

"Are you completely thick?" The factory boss snapped, her face glazed with tears as she gestured obviously to the woman in her arms.

"He is my brother." She tried to defend, having the decency to at least arrange her features into a look of concern as she dared to move closer to them.

"Yeah and your brother is fine thanks to my fiancée and the bullet currently lodged inside her." She spat viciously, her harsh tone contrasting vastly with the gentleness of her actions. Her fingertips were brushing lightly over Michelle's forehead, pushing her hair back before trailing them tenderly down her cheek, trying to deliver what little comfort she could to the younger woman.

"The lad who was after Simon," Peter informed his confused sister before she could open her mouth to ask. "Pulled up with a gun."

"Well we're all alright stood here, aren't we?" Tracy muttered, glancing around the street uncertainly. "They might well drive back around the corner and take us all out!"

None of them had even contemplated that thought.

"Tracy," Carla hissed through clenched teeth, her panicked state causing her to allow anger to get the better of her. "I swear to God if anything happens to Michelle and all you've come over to do is stand and make useless comments, I'll personally put an end to your existence on this planet."

"Well, what can I do? I'm not a Doctor!" Tracy cried, her mouth falling open at the other woman's threat, an incredulous scoff leaving her mouth.

"Grab my phone from my bag, call Ali." She suddenly demanded, nodding behind her to where it lay forgotten. Looking thoroughly unimpressed with Carla barking orders at her but complying anyway, Tracy yanked on the silver chain handle, pulling the black leather bag into her clutches.

"It says I need a password." She called, causing Carla to growl in frustration. It wasn't like Tracy was being deliberately annoying this time, but it agitated her all the same. "Two, one...zero, four...seven, six." Her voice shook as she forced herself to recite the digits calmly, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment.

"That's...That's my birthday." Michelle's voice was so weak, she'd coughed lightly at the end, as though the words had caused her great effort. Carla's eyes popped open, her expression softening, her thumb resuming gentle circles against her pale cheek.

"No flies on you, hey?" The older brunette smiled, compelling her features to remain passive, as though she wasn't completely terrified about the other woman's dwindling state. "At least you know I'll never forget."

 **IXI**

"I'm sure it was a gunshot. It sounded like one." Jenny mused from where she was stood behind the bar with Johnny, the pair of them debating the noise they'd heard moments previous.

"Nah, it'll have been a firework." Johnny shrugged, glancing towards the booth directly in front of them, where Ryan and Ali were getting on suspiciously well.

"It's the middle of summer in broad daylight!"

"Yeah but it's the school holidays, kids are bored."

"Right, so," Ryan began loudly, his conversation audible to the whole of the pub. "Heads, I buy next round. Tails, you do." He held out his hand, waiting for Ali to shake it. The other man had just stretched his fingertips towards him, when his phone vibrated on the table. Ignoring Ryan's protests, he picked the device up, a small frown marring his features.

"Carla?" He was confused as to why she'd be calling him and not Michelle. Maybe his mother had forgotten her phone and wanted him for something. He was even more confused when the voice of Tracy Barlow echoed down the line.

Ryan watched the Doctor's eyes widen, before he leapt up from his seat, knocking the rest of his drink over in his haste. The pint of bitter spilled across the table, soaking into the sleeve of the other mans hoodie.

"Watch it, you daft apath!" Ryan cried out, shaking his arm in frustration, drops of liquid flying from the material. "Oh, nice one. Good going A-"

"Mum's been shot." Ali whispered, his face rapidly draining of colour.

"What? Shot? Eh?"

"Shot?" Jenny called over, throwing her hand up in front of her husbands face to stop him talking. "Who?"

"Michelle."

It was completely silent in the Rovers, the news echoing around the walls, confused murmurs rippling through the air.

"But- how?"

"' _How'!_ What do you mean how? How do you think?" Ali snapped, stuffing his phone into his pocket as he bolted towards the door, only stopping to bark and a shell-shocked Ryan. "Come on then, soft lad. Shift!"

"Right, _out!_ " Johnny shouted, pulling up the latch of the bar, almost taking it off its hinges in his haste. "Everyone out, we need to close up."

Like they'd even needed telling. They were out of the door almost as fast as Ali and Ryan, eager for a bit of drama to help eat away at their meagre, miserable days. The crowd surrounding the factory had grown and the doctor had to angrily force his way past those who had decided to completely hinder the situation by standing directly in the way.

"Let me through, I'm a Doctor." He demanded authoritatively, effectively parting the residents with his appearance.

Carla looked weak with relief when he ushered Peter out of the way. She watched the him dig his own set of keys from his pocket and head off towards the factory steps, clearly going to free Simon from the confines of the premises. He'd been the safest of them all.

"Has she been awake at all?" Ali asked her, cautiously peeling away the jacket Peter had used to compress against the wound.

"Yeah, she's been talking." Carla nodded, jumping slightly at the sudden pressure of a hand on her shoulder. Peering up, she saw Ryan's apologetic smile as Michelle's other son sat behind her, giving his Aunt what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. Gazing back down at the younger woman, she lowered her head once more and whispered softly to her.

"Michelle, can you open your eyes for us?"

The series of shallow breaths, which she'd continued to exhale through her nose, paused for a moment, a low grumble sounding in the back of her throat. Ali increased the pressure, pushing down firmly against the bullet wound and she gasped, her eyes screwing up tighter.

"Mm...Hurts." Was all she managed to wheeze, tears sliding from the corners of her eyes and disappearing into her hair.

"I know, I know," Carla murmured, her own expression pained as she continued to whisper soothingly to her. The younger woman's hand had long since slackened from where she'd initially been resting it against her neck and had dropped back by her side. Reaching out, Carla took Michelle's hand in her own, lacing their fingers together, renewed worry flooding through her when she realised her palm felt clammy.

"Ali, she's cold," she whispered, her eyes flickering to his, dread settling heavy in her stomach when she noticed the hint of distress in the Doctor's own.

"She's lost a lot of blood." It had already seeped into the knee of his trousers after spreading over the ground. "See if you can keep her talking." His tone gave no indication as to how dire the situation was, his professional mask had probably slipped into place to distract them all from the worst possible outcome.

"'Chelle," Carla squeezed her hand, trying to ignore her pulsing fear and grappling around for anything that might be successful in engaging the younger woman in conversation. "Hey, where do you fancy honeymooning?" She had no idea why she'd asked that, perhaps she'd just needed to reaffirm that they _were_ getting married; there was no way she was going to lose her when they'd come this far. "If we could go anywhere in the world?"

They were waiting on baited breath, praying Michelle would respond. Just as her hope had started to dwindle, the younger woman's brow twitched, as though she was trying to frown. Her eyes were bleary and unfocused, only just peeking through her half open lids, but she was there.

"We're not...mm...married yet." She croaked, her teeth starting to chatter when she spoke.

Carla felt her heart crack, she must have been in so much pain. Her own insides felt like ice, every fibre of her being frozen in terror, it was making it difficult to think. All she wanted to do was throw herself down next to the younger woman and cry, beg her to be okay.

"But we will be. I mean, unless you didn't take that bullet for me. Hey, it's not Peter you've got a thing for is it?" She teased, her voice shaking with the amount of effort it was taking to hold off an impending breakdown.

"Gross," was all Michelle whispered, though there was a hint of a smile across her lips. Her body was starting to shiver violently in the other woman's arms and Carla pulled her closer, as though she was merely cold and keeping her warm would help. "Carla?" Her voice was growing faint, her eyes flickering as she tried to keep the other brunette in sight.

"What, baby?"

"I-I love you."

"Don't you start with all that, now," Carla sniffed. She was shaking too, her grip steadfast around the other woman, her heart working rapidly in her chest, blood pulsing in her ears. "You flippin' drama Queen."

"I do...I love you and I'm pr-" she broke off, coughing dryly, taking a moment to catch her breath, which was still shallow, hitching in the back of her throat, "proud...to love you. And of you."

Carla's resolve broke, she couldn't hold back a second longer. Leaning down once more to that they were nose to nose, she struggled through the fit of sobs that were wracking her body. She let go of Michelle's hand only so she could cup her cheek, stroking her thumb against clammy skin. "I love you, too." Her voice cracked, her fingertip now trailing across the younger woman's lower lip. They were cold, tinged with blue, but that didn't stop Carla from pressing her warmer ones against them. Michelle exhaled softly through her nose, but had lost the energy to respond, her eyes fluttering shut.

There were sirens, growing louder and Carla pulled back, face slick with tears. She could see the neon vehicle racing towards them, blue lights flashing urgently. She turned back towards the younger woman and have her a gentle shake, frowning when she didn't even utter a sound of protest.

"'Chelle," She whispered, lightly grazing the side of her face. The other woman was still. A thick blanket of terror wrapped itself around the older brunette, restricting her air, suffocating her. "No, come on, they're here now. Michelle, please wake up."

Ryan's arm was wrapped around her own shoulders, she could feel him gripping her tightly while she held onto the other woman. A cry of anguish tore from her throat, she refused to believe their time together was up. Not by a long chalk.

"You listen to me, baby," she choked, clutching her still form against her chest, lacing kisses into her hair. The paramedics had dismounted from the ambulance and were rushing towards the scene. Ali gestured for Ryan to take over his futile attempt to keep the blood from draining out of Michelle's body entirely. There were tears on his cheeks, but he stood up determinedly, meeting the emergency service team and firing off everything they needed to know before they'd even got to where the brunette woman lay.

"You never gave up on me, ever." Carla whispered, rocking her gently, wetting her hair with salty tears, tears that had clumped the lashes framing her glassy, green eyes. "There's not a chance in hell that I'm going to give up on you, Michelle Connor."

 **A/n: They literally have the worst of luck, don't they? Damn. Hope this was okay, I stole it from the show but put my own twist on it!**


	22. Chapter 22

It had to be a nightmare. There was no way, _no_ way that the Universe could really do them over so badly. Carla could have laughed, laughed at the sheer madness of it all. They'd barely hit months since she'd recovered and she was back in the place. Pacing the floors, fighting the panic, trying to still the constant thrumming in her chest. She twisted her hands together, they were pink and sore. As soon as Michelle had been whisked from her she'd scrubbed her hands raw in the toilets. Blood hand seeped into every crease of her palm, sank its way into the skin around her nails, even found its way beneath them. Over and over she'd doused them in soap, scrunching up paper towels and raking them against her skin, watching the water turn pink as it ran off her hands. The hot water had burned, but she'd barely taken notice, continuing as though erasing the remnants of that day could erase what had happened. As though she could rinse away the memory. There'd been so much blood. Too much. Swallowing the bile that had started to rise in the back of her throat, she gagged at the bitter, sour taste. The smell of coffee lingered in the air but she knew she wouldn't be able to force it down. How could anyone? What was it about hospitals that suddenly fuelled everyone's enthusiasm for a vending machine? Drink this, eat that, pretend your loved ones aren't though the next room dyi-

No. Michelle wasn't dying. Carla shook her head vigorously, as though able to jolt the bad thoughts from her mind. She spam around and started to walk back across the room, refusing to sit. She couldn't. Even when she'd tried, she couldn't be still. The soft fabric coating the chairs itched the back of her legs, her knees shook and the walls seemed to close in whenever she remained stationary for too long. Ali seemed to be sharing her frustration. She could see him twisting his hands aggressively, dropping his head into them and letting out groans of frustration. He hadn't been allowed to follow Michelle, oversee anything that was happening to her; he was too close to her. It must have been infuriating. Almost tentatively, Ryan had reached out and clapped an unsure hand on his shoulder. The doctor had tapped it twice, brief and gruff, before resuming his previous position, staring unblinkingly down at the floor.

"Carla, love, why don't you sit down?" Jenny tried, which earned her no response from the brunette. Clearly not taking the hint, Jenny took one of the coffee's from the table and made her way over to where Carla was stood, back to them all. "Here, why don't you have-"

" _Oh will you just stuff your flamin' coffee!"_ Carla suddenly screamed, flipping around with such ferocity that she knocked the drink clean out of the other woman's hand. The lid burst from the top of it and the pitifully pale liquid oozed out onto the hard floor. It reminded Carla horribly of the way she'd watched blood seep from Michelle's body and she choked, her hands flying into her hair, nails raking against her scalp. "I just want- I want- Oh, god Jenny I'm sorry-" Tears started to stream down her cheeks, a howl of grief spilling from her lips.

"Its okay," Jenny assured her, looking devastated for the other woman. It was Ryan, however, who reached Carla before Jenny attempted to comfort her. He slid his arms around her quivering frame and pulled her against his chest.

"I'm scared, too." He whispered, so quietly that only she heard it. "She's really all I have left..." Carla pulled back slightly, glancing up at his face. The whites of his eyes were tinged with pink, red rimmed, face pale. She felt her heart break for him; he'd already lost his dad, the two men that had ever come close to being father figures and he'd knelt on the cobbles beside her watching his own mother look as though she was slipping away. Guilt settled in the pit of her stomach. Michelle had taken that bullet because of her.

"When you were in here, she was so upset. I told her you'd pull through for her and you did. I think she'll do the same for you." He assured her, his eyes set determinedly. Carla reached up and cupped his cheek, letting her hand linger there for a moment. Her stomach was still knotted with nerves, the prickle of fear far from eased, but she wanted to try and remain as positive as the younger woman's son. There'd still been a pulse when they'd got Michelle into the ambulance, they had to have reached her in time. Carla hadn't let go of her hand until they'd wheeled her away. She could still feel the younger woman's cold fingers against her own.

The door swung open and Carla felt her heart seize. Ali instantly jumped up to his feet, marching over to his colleague expectantly. It was a blonde woman, her hair swept into a tidy bun on top of her head, streaks of silver visible where it was beginning to grey, stethoscope situated around her neck. As soon as she saw them all, she smiled, and the brunette woman let out a whimper of relief. A smile meant good news, surely?

"Miss Connor was extremely fortunate." She began, causing Carla to roll her eyes; she managed to bite back a a quip but couldn't stop the groan of disbelief escaping. If being shot was lucky in their eyes, she'd hate to see what an unlucky day would entail. "The bullet missed anything major, it was tissue damage. That said, she did lose a lot of blood, but we've given her a transfusion and at this point we can't see why she shouldn't make a full recovery."

"Oh thank God," Johnny sighed in relief, sagging against his wife who had her arms around him. Carla watched Ali shake the Doctor's hand, his previously creased brow now smoothed with ease. She couldn't speak, rooted to the spot, absorbing the words and taking a moment to let the sheer delight of them sink in. It was okay, Michelle was going to be okay.

"Is she awake?"

"She'll be coming around any minute now. Who am I taking down?"

"I'll take these two to her, if that's alright?" Ali gestured towards Carla and Ryan, who had both made to move forward at the blonde woman's suggestion. She exchanged a look with the Doctor, before relenting and nodding her approval. Now that Michelle was out of danger, it seemed that Ali could resume professional duty.

"Yeah go on, we can see her after. Just tell her we're thinking of her." Jenny nodded, while Johnny stepped forward to hug his daughter. The sense of relief was catching, no one had known how to even begin preparing for an outcome other than Michelle being okay and Johnny could barely contemplate what state Carla might have been in otherwise.

"Wait, hang on." Ryan was struggling to pull his hoodie from over his head, his hair sticking up oddly once he'd managed to pry it from his frame, revealing his ridiculous 'Ibiza' t-shirt. Flipping it back the right way, he held it out to a bewildered looking Carla.

"Er-"

"To cover that up."

Their gazes fell to the brunette woman's previously white blouse, which was stained in deep scarlet in streaks across her front. Bizarrely, she had to suppress the urge to laugh as she donned the younger mans pale blue hoodie. It swamped her lithe frame, fell past her thighs and she had to bunch up the sleeves in order to still have the use of her hands.

She felt lighter than she had done, breezing down the bright corridor with Ali and Ryan, almost wishing she could break out into a run as her legs carried her eagerly towards the ward the Doctor was leading them to. There was another woman, this one a lot younger, in a pale blue striped tunic and deep navy trousers, a crisp pleat down the centre of each leg. She flashed the three a bright smile when they entered, her eyes blue and happy, dark brown hair swept up into a sleek ponytail.

"I take it you're Carla? She's been asking for you." She addressed the older brunette directly but, unlike Ryan, who suddenly seemed star struck, she wasn't even paying attention to the nurse. Her eyes had fallen straight to the bed Michelle was bundled into, her hair splayed out across the pillow. She looked so much younger than her years, swamped in a hospital gown and layered in blue and white sheets. At the mention of Carla's name, her eyes flickered, only half opening as she searched the room.

"I'm here," Carla instantly dropped down beside the younger woman, taking her pale face between her hands, her eyes fixated on the hazy, hazel ones beneath her. "Never, ever, _ever_ do anything like that again. Ever. You stupid, inconsiderate, brave, beautiful..." Carla trailed off in a whisper, succumbing to tears once more as she bent down and pressed her lips desperately against Michelle's. She lingered for a second and barely pulled back, her forehead touching the younger woman, noses still grazing together.

"Have you come to see me just to insult me?" Michelle's voice was hoarse, a murmured croak, but she still managed a smile, it tugged on the corners of her mouth and Carla let out a gentle sob, her thumb stroking across the other brunette's cheek. Michelle's eyes seemed slightly out of focus when they opened fully, the younger woman still extremely groggy, but she managed to raise her hand up towards Carla, placing it against her cheek. "Hey, I'm alright..."

"No you're not, look at you," Carla shook her head, brushing her hand through the younger woman's hair, wishing she could bundle her up into her arms and cling to her. "I'm so sorry, darlin'."

This time Michelle shook her head, an exhausted little sigh escaping her lips, her fingertips inching over to tuck a strand of Carla's chestnut hair behind her ear, almost mirroring the other woman's previous action.

"It's not your fault, it's not baby." Carla weakened further at the term of endearment, dropping light kisses against Michelle's nose, moving them across her forehead, while the younger woman tilted her chin, relishing in the comfort of every single one.

It was with pained reluctance that Carla eventually pulled back, realising she was completely hogging the younger woman's attention from her two sons. However, Ryan had been making several attempts to chat to the pretty nurse, asking questions about Michelle's recovery even though they all knew full well that Ali would have that completely covered.

"Anyway, just let me know if you need anything else. I'd better get on with my rounds."

"Yeah, thanks, Emily." Ali nodded to her as she left, a smug smile forming across his face when Ryan narrowed his eyes at the other mans knowledge of her name.

"We do wear name tags, if you'd have been paying attention instead of drooling." Ali shrugged, before turning his own attention to Michelle, who was watching the exchange in tired amusement.

The younger brunette accepted careful hugs from both of her sons, the pair of them taking seats on the opposite side to Carla, who reached out for Michelle's hand when she'd finished greeting the two men. It was so much warmer than the last time she'd taken hold of it, the reassuring heat of her palm against Carla's own causing tears of relief to prick in the corners of her eyes once more.

Michelle glanced back across at her, puzzlement sliding across her features as she looked the older woman up and down. "Carla, is that Ry's jumper?"

"Suits her, doesn't it?" Ryan laughed, ignoring the glare Carla shot him. "Aunty ASBO over there."

Michelle's face split into a wide grin, she was far too sore to laugh, but she let out a hum of amusement. Beckoning a thoroughly unimpressed Carla forward, she ran both of her hands over her hair, as though she was going to settle either side of her neck. Instead, her fingertips wrapped around the loose material at the back and she quickly flipped the hood up onto her head, earning another shout of laughter from the two men opposite.

"This is the one and only time you're ever getting away with anything like this." Carla warned, trying to keep up an air of disapproval even as Michelle tucked her fingertips beneath her chin, bringing her closer.

"You look _adorable."_ She sniggered, much to the other woman's chagrin.

"Ryan put that phone away or so god you'll be in one of these beds right next to your mother." Carla growled, though there was no malice in her tone. If it had been anyone else in the world, they'd have never gotten away with pulling a move like that, least of all labelling her 'adorable', not than anyone else would have dared. But Michelle wasn't _just_ anyone in the world, she _was_ Carla's whole world and the brunette was far too immersed in appreciating having Michelle right there in front of her to truly be worried about whatever unflattering photograph Ryan was trying to take.

She felt so grateful for every last inch of the younger woman, the ear splitting grin that was etched across her face despite having been laid bleeding out barely five hours previous, the way she was still staring up at Carla, dark eyes bleary and tired but still managing to sparkle with nothing but love, love that was all for her and their family. The older brunette's own gaze homed in on the tiny freckle just above Michelle's upper lip, which she suddenly found herself drawn to, it was even more endearing to her now, made the younger woman all the more perfect. Unable to help herself, she leant down and covered it with her mouth, pressing a delicate kiss against her skin.

"I love you," She murmured, lowering her lips so that they were fully against Michelle's this time, the younger woman's eyes closing at the contact. They didn't open when Carla pulled away, though there was still a hint of a smile on her face where she was resting against the pillows, completely worn out but peaceful. Sleeping. Alive.

 **IXIXIXI**

Michelle hadn't really done anything but sleep over the next day, but Ali had assured her it was to be expected, especially with the amount of pain medication she was suddenly assaulting her system with. Johnny had joked they truly were carbon copies of one another, for Carla had now taken to being her first visitor to show up and last to leave, despite her insistence that she was okay. There was a small part of Carla that wondered how unbearable Sally Metcalfe was going to be once she returned properly to the factory, after having left it with her for two days. She'd only been dropping in on an evening to check emails and make sure the current order was on track. Satisfied that things were running smoothly, she felt relatively okay about being sat in one of the more comfortable visiting chairs, deciding to make a start on the growing pile of magazines at Michelle's bedside.

The younger brunette had been dozing lightly when the door was pushed open, rousing her. She inched herself up against the pillows tiredly, her eyes getting adjusted to her surroundings once more. Carla was still sat in the chair beside her bed, glancing up herself from the magazine she'd been idly flicking through, tapping a biro against the pages that had the crossword she'd been working on splashed across them. Michelle smiled to herself, about to make a teasing quip about how alike to Roy Cropper she'd become since spending time living with him, but the arrival of her two new visitors stole her attention.

"Hiya, oh did we wake you? Sorry." Ryan grimaced, his head barely visible behind the huge bouquet of flowers he was carrying, so huge that they toppled dangerously to one side and Ali had to catch them, shaking his head at Ryan and muttering something under his breath which caused the other man to scowl.

"No, it's fine... Are they for me?"

"No, your nurse is fit. Thought I'd try my luck." Ryan quipped sarcastically, managing to get the vase situated on Michelle's beside table. An attractive display of pink stargazer lilies, speckled and pretty were spread out amongst white and peach roses, muting the brightness of the arrangement which seemed even bigger with spikes of lavender framing the bouquet.

"They're gorgeous!" The brunette woman exclaimed delightedly, the room already filling with the relaxing scent of lavender, undermined with a hint of sweetness.

"They're from both of us, so that nurse is going to have a tough choice..." Ryan smirked, keeping up the pretence as he slung his arm casually around Ali's shoulders. "Although, I think I've still got the edge, you know? Sorry mate."

The doctor merely rolled his eyes and shrugged him off, unable to help himself from giving his Michelle a subtle once over, checking the chart at the end of her bed. It was completely force of habit, instantly feeling 'on-duty' the moment he'd stepped foot into the building. However the clearing of her throat caught the attention of both of them. Michelle was eyeing her sons pointedly, her arms stretched out with one affronted eyebrow raised.

"Thank you," she murmured, accepting a hug from them in turn. "I wasn't expecting to see you both."

"Well I'm working and Ryan's going into town, so we thought we'd stop by beforehand." Ali nodded to her, opening his bag and producing a stack of envelopes. He squeezed them next to the flowers, noticing his mothers quizzical look. "Word got around, have you not checked your phone?"

Michelle glanced curiously over at Carla, a flash of guilt forming across the older woman's features. Glaring at Ali for bringing it up, she reluctantly reached into her bag and pulled out Michelle's mobile. "I didn't want you to have hold of it in here." She sighed, still keeping it well away from the her outstretched fingertips. "You've got to promise me that you won't answer any calls or emails that aren't from your friends. Especially if that Samantha what's-her-face calls. Mind you, she probably won't now." Carla finished in a quiet murmur, shrinking back in her seat somewhat after Michelle had managed to take the phone from her, looking extremely sheepish.

The younger woman raised her eyebrows.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing, nothing," Carla held up her hands, shrugging, as though she wouldn't find out anyway.

" _Carla."_

"Well she just kept calling and calling!" The older woman instantly jumped to defend herself, throwing a disapproving frown in Ali's direction, who looked somewhat guilty himself that, thanks to him, the subject was not being brought up. "When I told her what happened she completely freaked out and, just for one second, I thought she was actually worried about you. Do you know what she said? She said ' _well that's_ my _big day ruined!'"_ Carla seethed, already able to feel the hot anger creeping up her chest even at the mere recollection of the rather heated phone call she'd taken on Michelle's behalf.

"Oh she went ballistic!" Ryan suddenly laughed, having turned his attention from his own mobile to the conversation, nodding appreciatively in his Aunt's direction. "I've known you all my life but I've never heard you use language like that before. Honestly, if you shouted at me like that I'd absolutely sh-"

"Alright!" Michelle cut across him, before throwing a look of disapproval in Carla's direction. "Do I actually have any clients left or have you scared them all away?"

Surprisingly, she didn't sound mad. In fact, she sounded almost weary, though that was probably fatigue, she did look tired. Carla reached out for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I turned it off after that, I thought it'd be best." She nodded, glancing towards where Michelle's phone had finally finished loading and a stream of notifications fired up against the screen. "Most of them were just well wishes, though."

"Hence these," Ali pointed his thumb towards pile of cards. "There's more flowers back at the flat, too."

Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, she glanced once more at her phone screen and, surprisingly, passed it back over to Carla, unable to surprised the small yawn that escaped her mouth.

"You should sleep, if you need to." The Doctor suddenly advised, straightening up as he prepared to exit the ward, his shift being just about to start. "We'll leave you to rest."

Ryan nodded and began to follow suit, though his face suddenly looked glum. "That nurse didn't come in," he sighed, shaking his head slightly, smirking at the look of disapproval on Ali's face. "What? Just because you like her too but you couldn't make her laugh like I did." He teased, puffing out his chest as he swaggered towards the other man, grinning triumphantly. Ali raised his chin defiantly, glancing down at Ryan with a subtle smirk of his own.

"Yeah, well, I'm taller than you." He fired back, much to Ryan's confusion. "And your hair is a mess."

"What are you- _oi!"_ Without warning, Ali had wrapped his arm around his neck, pulling him into a headlock and fisting his knuckles into the other mans hair. The pair of them jostled and tumbled out of the ward, almost tripping over one another as they wrestled, Ryan crying out warningly as to where he was going to 'ram that stethoscope' if he didn't let go that instant.

"Have they been carrying on like that back at the flat?" Michelle turned to Carla, looking equal parts bemused and sheepish herself now that she realised just how boisterous they were behaving. "I'm sorry if it wasn't what you were expecting, having them live with us. It won't be forever."

"'Chelle," Carla was smiling warmly, effectively stopping the younger woman's worried rambling. "I like having them around. They're part of you, and-" she paused, as though looking worried about offending the other woman. "I know it's genetically impossible but Ryan reminds me so much of-"

"Liam?" Michelle finished for her, a smile tugging at the corner of her own lips. "Yeah, I know. He reminds me of him, too."

Carla laced her fingertips through Michelle's, grazing her thumb against the younger woman's skin. "They were both watching this football highlights thing at the flat last night," she began, her other hand falling to Michelle's arm, her fingertips tickling affectionately against her skin, "they asked me if I minded, but I didn't. They were arguing and laughing together and it was like... like watching ghosts of the past." She finished quietly, letting out a gentle sigh. "I mean Ali looks like Dean, there's no denying that but the way he acts sometimes..." Carla trailed off, glancing up at Michelle. She was startled to find the other woman in tears, her heart sinking.

"Oh, god I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset-"

"No, I'm not upset." Michelle laughed, though it sounded more like a sob as it spilled from her lips. "I'm happy."

Carla reached up and tucked her finger beneath the younger brunette's chin. "You might want to wait for your face to catch up with that then." She teased, concern still deepening her green hues as she reached up to gently brush the tears from her cheek.

Michelle shuffled back slightly, wincing, but patting the space she'd created, looking up at Carla expectantly. "Please?" She whispered, when the other woman looked reluctant, not wanting to cause her any discomfort. But the rounded, pleading hazel eyes in front of her broke her resolve and she pulled herself up onto the bed, turning onto her side and leaning on her elbow, propping her head against her hand. Michelle reached out for her other one and Carla complied, allowing their fingers to knit together once more.

"Are you going to tell me what's making you _so_ happy, then?" Sarcasm dripped from her tone, the sadness marring Michelle's features still prominent on her face.

"I really am happy," she insisted, clearing her throat in an attempt to pull herself together. "Look at where we are, now," She whispered, ignoring Carla's confused glance around the dreary room. "With a family, together. Carla, we made it."

The older brunette's expression softened, she'd had an idea of what Michelle had been alluding to, despite having fired the sarcasm at her. She just couldn't be sure that she wouldn't go to pieces herself if they were going down that path, as it seemed Michelle was.

"I can't believe it myself, sometimes." Carla admitted, lowering herself to lay properly against the pillow, her face inches away from the other woman's.

"Oh, I can believe it. I never doubted you, Carla."

"It's almost like you knew," the older brunette smiled, pressing her lips together as she contemplated their history, "that you were going to be the one who gave me everything. Maybe I knew, too. You were the first person to love me." She reached out towards Michelle, trailing a fingertip down her cheek before adding with a slight hum of disbelief. "God knows why."

"I wish I had an answer." Michelle laughed, and, before the other woman could get offended or throw back a sly comment, her eyes grew serious. "There's things I love about you, there's things you do that I love. But it's more than that. I just love _you._ Unconditionally."

Carla swallowed, hardly even able to consider the enormity of her words and just what they meant to her. She dipped her head towards the younger brunette, trying to formulate any kind of response.

" _Michelle..._ " Just the way she spoke her name was enough, their foreheads lightly connecting, Carla's eyes fluttering shut at the contact.

It could have seemed strange that they'd taken all those years to get to this point, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She wouldn't have been ready for it, before. Neither of them would. As much as it pained Carla to admit, she'd have hurt her. Back then, drive and ambition to survive had become everything to her. The factory came first, making money and flash cars came first. Designer handbags and boots came first. Things that had only ever been the pipe dreams of an estate girl had been at her fingertips and no game was too cruel, no level too low to stoop to in order to make sure she'd come out on top. It was something she'd had to learn first hand, because coming from a place where money would have been the solution to her problems had put a very high value on everything materialistic, to the point where she'd almost lost her real emotions, where she had began to believe the cracks in her first marriage could be filled with a new diamond necklace.

Michelle had brought her back, helped her find the balance. She was happy, the kind of happy that no amount of zeroes on the end of her bank balance could compare to.

The gentle brush of Michelle's fingertips against her cheek had been continuous, from where the both of them had remained lost in thought, lost in love, taking comfort in being so close to one another. The smile across the younger woman's face that Carla was greeted with when she finally opened her eyes was almost knowing, made her almost believe that she'd heard exactly what had just run through her mind.

"This is all I ever really wanted." She confessed, softly, meeting the hazel eyes in front of her and expecting Michelle to be confused. She wasn't. She didn't even try to question her, just waited, listened, let her release whatever it was she'd just realised. "I still remember it, you know? The first time you told me you loved me."

"Yeah?" Michelle whispered, that meaningful glint still shining in her eyes, her hand drifting from Carla's cheek to instead wind into her hair.

"Your dad brought me over," the other woman nodded. It might have been twenty-seven years ago, but Carla had vivid memories of her childhood on the estate. Not all of them good. In fact, most were horrendous, but this was one of the rare ones. This one was happy. "Mam and George were drunk, they'd been rowing. You'd been worrying." Carla sighed softly, even the best of her memories still started with that. Blazing rows, alcohol and a panicked Michelle. "I remember being in bed with you...You and that tiny bump. I just laid there wondering how it must feel, to be loved for doing nothing other than existing. And you just said it. You said _you_ loved me." The warmth that radiated in her chest at the recollection was just as strong as it had been when she'd heard the words leave Michelle's mouth that very night. "That's all I wanted, deep down."

"I always will. You know that, don't you?" The younger woman murmured, her fingertips now massaging against her scalp in gentle circles. "Whether we're in the middle of a blazing row, whether our business' thrive or crash to the ground, even if we'd never even made it off that estate. I love you. I love you, because you're Carla. That's it."

The other brunette's view immediately became misty and she had to bite down hard on her lower lip. How was she supposed to find the words? Were there enough in the world to put together exactly how it felt when you realised everything you'd barely even dared hope for was now a certain reality?

"Oh, look at me, you're the one I'm a hospital bed and I'm sat here bawling like an idiot." Carla sniffed, brushing the back of her hand over her cheeks. "I don't know what to say."

"Well, I mean, you could say it back?" Michelle teased, a playful grin spreading across her face. "I have just poured out my-"

"I love you." Carla touched her lips softly to the other woman's, and she proceeded to scatter kisses all over her face. "I love you," she repeated the phrase in a soft whisper, her lips continuing to flutter against her skin until eventually, she coaxed Michelle against her body, waiting for her to position herself comfortably, before wrapping one arm around her. The other slid between them and came to settle against her chest, the palm of her hand directly over the younger brunette's heartbeat, the pulse welcoming against her skin after the previous twenty four hours.

Carla's eyes met Michelle's from where they were gazing up at her, glittering with warmth and adoration, but sleepy. She could tell the younger woman was tired. It almost reminded Carla of that night, both of them merged together on a single bed, always enough space because they were always so close.

"Will you stay a bit longer?" Michelle whispered, her hand coming to rest over where Carla's still lay over her heart.

It wasn't really a necessary question, the other brunette hadn't had any intention of moving, let alone leaving. She dipped in close once more, pressing a sweet kiss against Michelle's forehead, her lips lingering so that she was able to feel the warmth of the words whispered against her skin. "Of course I'm staying."

 **IXIXIXI**

With only a Doctor's check away from being discharged, Michelle was in high spirits by the end of the week. She couldn't wait to get back into her own bed, bury down under the thick duvet and sprawl out fully over the mattress. Of course, knowing that she'd also be getting to spend her evening's curled up with Carla once more was also extremely appealing to her. In her opinion, hospital beds were poorly designed and she was fed up of being disturbed by the sound of footsteps or groaning patients and she was desperate for a soak in the bath. Although the thought of seeing herself for the first time caused her insides to squirm with nerves. So far, she'd avoided looking down at her wound. Having only been allowed to wash down briefly had meant that she'd been able to avert her eyes from the padded area by her hip, a thick gauge of bandaging covering the stitches knitting her skin together.

Still, the thought of being able to go home later that day had temporarily pushed away any negative attitude she was holding towards her current situation and disappeared completely when she reminded herself that, without having that mark on her skin, the consequences might have been so much more dire. Plucking one of the magazines from the pile beside her, she tried to become submerged in one of the articles while waiting not so patiently for Carla to come back from the hospital cafe. The food provided hadn't been much cop and Michelle had been getting flack from everyone including her own son for not eating enough. He'd mentioned it to Carla, who'd berated her fiancée and headed off to to buy Michelle breakfast.

"Am I disturbing?"

The younger woman looked up. She'd been chuckling at the crossword that Carla must have attempted to fill in, she'd given up halfway through and started to doodle in each of the blank squares, drawing hearts or tiny expressive faces, wrote Michelle's own name down a row of blank squares and entwined it with her own, using one of the _L_ 's to make it fit. She made a mental note to tease the other woman about her high school worthy actions. The voice in the doorway had pulled her from her thoughts and she found herself face to face with a visitor she'd least expected to see. She wasn't even sure she wanted to see him.

"Er, no...No, come in." She gabbled, pulling herself to sit up properly, tugging the top she was wearing straight. It was Carla's, she definitely didn't recognise it as one of her own. Comfortable, loose and grey, with long sleeves, Michelle was certain it was the one Carla had worn when she'd been discharged from the hospital after her kidney transplant. The other brunette had packed it into the small case of belongings she'd brought to Michelle. The brunette wasn't even sure she was allowed to have changed until being formally discharged but she'd been so sick of the sight of that hospital gown.

Confused, she watched Peter stroll casually into the room after gaining her permission to do so. He was carrying a large bunch of flower and, at risk of sounding severely ungrateful, those were another thing Michelle was getting sick of looking at. Perhaps it was the connotations surrounding them; maybe if she received them under positive circumstances, she wouldn't have minded them so much.

"Business must be booming for Tracy." She dared to joke, watching him take a seat next to her and offering them out for her to take. They were nice enough, cheerful yellow sunflowers and oversized white daisies, brightened up with fuchsia roses. Come to think of it, they looked a lot nicer than anything she'd ever seen on display at _Preston's Petals._

"Oh, I picked these up in town. Don't tell my sister." He attempted to laugh, though looked uncertainly at the brunette woman. Guilt was still marring his features, but Michelle hadn't looked up at him yet, absentmindedly stroking over one of the sunflower petals.

"She should change the name of that shop." She suddenly piped up, causing the man to frown in confusion.

"What?"

"Tracy. She should rename the shop."

"Oh... Yeah, I suppose. I'll mention it to her." He shrugged, leaning forward. His hands were clasped in front of him and he took a deep breath, opening his mouth to speak what Michelle suddenly realised didn't need to be said.

"Peter, it's fine. It wasn't your fault."

Clearly, he hadn't been expecting that reaction. His mouth remained open, hung in disbelief as he tried to compose himself.

"Michelle, I never meant for any of that to happen. If I'd have known he was capable-"

"I know, look no one could have predicted what he would've done and it was my decision to jump in front of the damn thing." She sighed, her hand subconsciously falling to her hip. "What's done is done, there's no point any of us beating ourselves up over what might have happened. I don't regret what I did." Michelle was shocked herself about how well she'd taken his unexpected appearance. But there really wasn't anything to be gained in going out of her way to hate Peter Barlow. Maybe she'd never like him, she'd never forget what he did to Carla and he'd been an idiot in trying to kiss the other woman, but she didn't have the energy for anything that brought anymore animosity into her life.

Somewhat awkwardly, he reached out, hesitant for a second before clumsily patting the back of her hand. He looked weary as she caught his eye, but he relaxed a little when he saw there was no anger in them. Maybe there was a silent truce between them. They'd never be friends, but they weren't enemies either.

"I didn't know what you'd fancy so I got you-" Carla stopped short, having returned from the cafe only to be greeted with what seemed a bizarre scene. She was clutching two drinks, a white carrier bag swinging from her wrist. Peter cleared his throat awkwardly, retracting his hand from Michelle's. Catching the movement, the older brunette narrowed her eyes, green hues flickering to the flowers on Michelle's lap. "Excuse me, I think I must have accidentally stepped into a parallel universe..."

"I should be getting off anyway, I'll leave you both to it." It was clear he couldn't wait to be out of there. Vacating his seat, he nodded once towards Carla, before turning back to Michelle. "I'm glad you're doing well, really."

"Thanks...And thank you for these, they're lovely." She nodded towards the bouquet, her attention falling to the message written inside her which revealed both Peter and Simon's names at the bottom. Carla made her way over the the seat Peter had risen from, still looking completely baffled. Her ex husband got to the door before turning back to face them, looking as though he was struggling to find the right words.

"I _am_ sorry. For everything." He spoke pointedly, gesturing between the two women. "I'm happy for you both, honestly. I'm glad you're finally getting the wedding you deserve." They watched him leave, turning to each other to exchange looks. Carla reached out to take the flowers from Michelle's lap, scrutinising them meticulously.

"What?" Michelle frowned, taking them back from her almost defensively. She didn't want to admit it, but they _were_ one of the more attractive bunches she'd received.

"I never got flowers like that." She muttered, narrowing her eyes teasingly at Michelle. "Exactly how long ago was your thing with him?"

"It wasn't a _thing!"_ The younger brunette denied, scrunching her nose at the very vague memory. "It was hardly anything. Moment of madness. I've put it way out of my mind." She flared at Carla when the woman continued to scope her out, clearly enjoying being able to wind Michelle up. "Anyway, you should be thinking about the wedding I _truly_ deserve-" she began, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

"Er, I think you mean the wedding _I_ deserve," Carla jumped in to correct her, passing her one of the drinks. "You know, the way we're going we should just have it here." She murmured, glancing glumly around the pale room. "A Wethy General wedding. We can wear matching hospital gowns and carry a bouquet of latex gloves." She scoffed, her eyes falling to the dispenser in the corner of the room, garish blue fingertips flapping ominously from the mouth of the metal box. "We'd struggle for a bar but we could always shot surgical spirit."

Michelle had been listening to her rant on with an ever widening grin across her face, chuckling softly at her sarcasm. The rippling movement caused a stinging pull over her hip and she let out a quiet wince as her stitches strained across her skin, her hand falling down to cover the area. Carla's expression instantly turned to one of concern, bringing her own hand down to rest on top of Michelle's.

"Hey, are you alright?"

The younger woman nodded, flipping her palm over and lacing their fingers together, giving them a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm fine, stop fussing. And stop with the dramatics, we'll be leaving as soon as Ali comes in to formally discharge me."

 **IXIXIXI**

"I reckon whoever said home is where the heart is must have done a stint in Weatherfield General." Michelle sighed contently from where she was sprawled our ok the sofa. Finally, she'd gotten around to opening the mountain of cards she'd received from current and previous clients. With her iPad balanced on her lap, she was also going through the many well wishes on there. Someone had very unhelpfully shared a news link to her page and she was getting friend requests from people who she had no idea existed, clearly they were fishing for gossip.

"At least they got your name right." Carla huffed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she perched on the arm rest, peering over Michelle's shoulder. "How popular are you?"

"Are you jealous?" The younger woman tipped her head back to look at her, a smug grin forming across her face. "Don't worry, you're still my number one."

"I'm honoured." The other woman laughed, dipping down to kiss her forehead. "Do you want a drink? Anything to eat?" She suddenly asked, hopping down onto the carpet and attempting to make her way into the kitchen.

Michelle reached out and grasped the hem of her shirt, tugging her back towards the sofa. "Will you stop fusing? I'm fine, you don't have to run around for me."

"Well technically I owe you my life so-"

"No. Stop." Her time was suddenly serious and she instead gripped hold of Carla's hand, making space for her to sit beside her. "Carla, come here." They both knew the conversation had been coming, the seriousness of the length Michelle had gone to in order to protect her. Almost reluctantly, she sat down beside Michelle, offering the younger woman both of her hands as she sat crossed legged opposite her, facing her directly. "You didn't ask me to do anything. I chose to push you out of the way. Me. And I'd jump in front of a hundred b-"

"No, 'Chelle, you listen to me a sec." Carla cut in, shaking her head, tightening her grip on the other woman's hands. "You have to promise me now, promise me that you will never, ever do anything so reckless and dangerous again. Not for me."

They looked at one another, Michelle's eyes growing glassy as she shook her head, dropping her stare, fixating it on her lap. "I can't...I can't promise you that, Carla. Don't act like you wouldn't do the same for me."

The other brunette couldn't find an argument against her statement. She knew she would, in a heartbeat. Michelle stretched her hands out against Carla's parting her fingers until the other woman's slid between the spaces, knitting them together.

"I think the best we can do is hope that a situation like that never arises again," Michelle murmured, gently pulling the other woman closer, their lips almost touching. Her lap suddenly lit up, the iPad that had been resting there had jumped to life, the blaring, ominous tone almost offering them a dire warning.

"Oh, this isn't what I need right now." The younger woman's face twisted into a grimace, staring unenthusiastically at the device which was signalling to her that " _Mum"_ was attempting to call. She wasn't sure she was mentally ready for her mother's wrath.

"Ryan told them to give you time to settle back home!" Carla shook her head, eyeing up the screen in disapproval.

"Well they've given me a whole half hour." She sighed, reluctantly accepting the call. There was no point in declining, putting off the inevitable, they'd only get more relentless and the younger woman decided she'd rather get it over with, at least then she could enjoy the rest of her first evening back home.

Already, Helen's face was set in a disapproving frown, which made Michelle's stomach drop with dread. They hadn't mentioned their engagement, she was suddenly wondering if someone else had.

" _Michelle! Why on Earth didn't you let us know you were in hospital?"_

"Because I was... in hospital. Hi, dad." She tried to keep her tone even, barely a hint of sarcasm in it. Carla nodded at her, impressed, reaching out to rest a hand on her knee. Michelle couldn't help the grateful smile crossing her lips at the other woman's comfort, her hand shifting to lay on top of hers.

" _Are you on your own?_ _We're not disturb-"_ her father began, tactfully, though his wife's snippy tone soon cut him off.

" _Of course we're not disturbing her. We're her parents. It would be nice to be remembered as such."_

Michelle rolled her eyes as she listened to them bicker, Carla biting down on her lip as she tried not to laugh. Her eyes suddenly widened in horror when Michelle flipped the screen around to her, shaking her head in panic before quickly having to rearrange her features into a forced, pleasant grin. "Helen, Barry, how are you both?" She greeted through gritted teeth, her eyes flashing dangerously over at Michelle. The older brunette's appearance certainly shut the Irish couple up.

" _Oh. You're still here, then."_

Carla glanced over her shoulder, as though searching her surroundings, before nodding. "Well, my name is on the lease, last time I checked so... Yep, apparently I'm still here. It's not an illusion." She couldn't help throwing in the dig, not nearly as talented as keeping the mocking humour from her tone as Michelle was. She could feel the younger woman's gaze burning into her, silently warning her not to wind Helen up. As predicted, her mother's the muscles in her mother's face tightened, her lips pressing into a thin line as she scowled up at Carla.

" _You see, this is exactly what I mean about her, she's-"_ But whatever Carla was, they never heard. Barry had taken it upon himself to steer the conversation off into safer waters.

" _Did they catch the little beggar who fired the gun?"_

"Yeah, they've got him. The car was found burnt out but he was in all sorts of trouble anyway." Carla answered for Michelle, shuffling around so that she was next to the younger woman meaning the pair of them were now in frame and they didn't have to keep swivelling the screen around.

" _Now, why did some nutter want to be shooting at our Michelle? It doesn't make any sense."_

The guilt crept up on Carla too quickly for her to hide and despite Michelle's eyes widening dramatically, a subtle shake of her head begging the other woman not to tell the truth, she felt like not doing so would be an insult to her heroic actions. She couldn't bring herself to lie to the woman's parents. Besides, her name was ready tarnished as far as Helen was concerned; she wanted to salvage what good Barry thought she had inside her and lying to the man felt wrong. He'd always been so much more understanding than his upright wife.

"The gun was aimed at me, Michelle saved my life."

The confession caused uproar, as they knew it would. Helen was going ballistic, so much so that Carla was suddenly unsure that the glass and the whole of the Irish Sea that separated them was protection enough. She half expected Helen's hands to reach through the screen and wrap themselves around her throat because judging from the murderous look in her eyes, if she could have, she certainly would have.

" _Oh Michelle you stupid,_ stupid _girl!"_ She berated, turning to her husband with an air of 'I-told-you-so'. " _I said she was bad news, she always has been. Both of my sons got involved with her and look what happened. Now you listen here, Carla-"_

"Mum!" At the mention of Paul and Liam, she'd seen Carla's face fall. Even though it was long in the past and Michelle would never place the blame upon her shoulders, it seemed the other brunette had buried it deep where it lay dormant, until Helen had chosen to try and drag it up. Wrapping an arm around Carla's waist, almost in defiance, she pulled the other woman closer still, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "It wasn't Carla's fault, not the past or what happened now...It wasn't." She'd trailed off, aiming the last comment at Carla herself, her eyes fiercely determined. They'd just had this conversation and she wasn't going to allow her mother to plant any seeds of doubt in the other woman's mind when they'd only just ripped up the roots of blame Carla had already implanted within herself.

" _Michelle, you can't be getting involved with anyone who brings that sort of trouble to your door. You've got a son to be thinking about!"_

"I can get involved with whoever I like, I'm not a child." She reminded them, unable to believe that she was still having to do so while in her forties. It was laughable, or would have been, had she not allowed her mother the success of continuing to wind her up. She'd decided to leave out the part that she currently had two sons living under her roof, that wasn't a door she was prepared to open under the current circumstances.

" _It won't last, it won't. You're going to get your heart broken, you're going to-"_

"Marry her. I'm going to marry her." The words left Michelle lips without her permission, bold and defiant. It took around half a second for her to realise what she'd said, her mouth falling open in terror as her gaze snapped to Carla. The other brunette had frozen, eyes wide with shock. Down the other end, her parents were struggling to work out whether the app had crashed.

" _Helen calm down,_ calm _down,"_ Barry's voice was barely audible above her horrified shrieking and Michelle's hand flying to her mouth did nothing to placate her mother, who caught sight of the ring that had only left her finger during surgery.

" _She got hold of my eldest, she's not having my daughter. She's not!"_

"She's still in the room you know!" Carla snapped, having told herself she wouldn't get involved with the argument but anger was boiling in her blood. Helen had never liked her, but she'd grown to accept her and Paul; never before had she acted so viciously. It was upsetting Michelle, who definitely did not deserve the stress.

"What's really the issue here?" Michelle asked quietly, glaring down at the screen, her eyes fixated on the disapproving scowl upon her mother's face. "Is it because I'm engaged to Carla or is it because I'm engaged to another woman?"

The question hung in the air, the older brunette suddenly curious as to the answer herself. It wasn't something either of them had fully discussed, it wasn't something that they'd felt important. Did it matter who was what if two people loved one another? If they made it work, no matter how unexpected or what had taken place in the past.

" _Why would you think that? You know we've got Kate-"_

"Kate isn't your daughter, I am." It was a heavy discussion to be having over FaceTime, although there was something to be said about Carla and Helen not being within physical fighting distance of one another.

" _I think we need to come over, see everyone, talk about things properly. We're overdue a catch up, don't you think?"_ Her father suggested warmly, which did nothing to reassure Michelle. It seemed her mother was determined to be unreasonable and she'd still refused to answer her question fully.

" _Oh, we'll be coming over alright. If only to talk some sense into-"_

"Well unless you're coming over to _celebrate_ with us at our engagement party, you've no need to flamin' well bother! I mean it, I can't wait to marry Carla and if you can't accept it, stay over there and don't dare ruin this for me!" Michelle shouted at the screen, abruptly ending the call and flipping the cover harshly over the device, folding her arms across her chest as she seethed. Carla blinked, jumping slightly at the slam when Michelle dumped the iPad onto the coffee table. "Who does she think she is? I'm forty-two!" She slumped back furiously against the cushions, a sharp gasp flying from her lips, her hand pressing against her hip at the sudden sting of pain as she'd jerked backwards.

"Hey, hey," Carla moved her hand down over Michelle's, concern glitter in her green eyes as she took in the younger woman's pained expression. "Steady, darlin', don't work yourself up."

Michelle's eyes were screwed up, wincing as she gingerly shuffled herself into a more comfortable position.

"Do you think you've pulled anything? Here I can check-"

"No!"

Carla's hands flew back from where they'd been attempting to roll up the hem of her top, taken aback at the younger woman's fierce shout. "'Chelle?"

She saw hazel eyes fill with tears and reached out, resting her fingertips beneath her chin.

"I haven't seen... I don't want to see." Michelle confessed, her brown knitting in distress as she looked across the other woman pleadingly. "Not yet, please, Carla."

The younger brunette looked desperate, sorrow etched deep into the pits of her wide eyes, her lower lip trembling. Carla's expression softened, her hands gently resting either side of Michelle's face, thumbs stroking softly over her cheeks. "Okay, it's okay I won't. You don't have to." She assured her, lightly resting her forehead against the other woman's for a moment.

"Thank you," she sounded so sincere, so relieved, her voice almost timid and it tugged painfully at her heart. Carla shuffled back, watching the younger woman's face fall for a second as she made herself comfortably in the corner of the sofa, before patting her thigh invitingly. Looking much more cheerful at that prospect, Michelle shuffled into her lap, secured in place by the armrest when she leant into the older woman, the top of her head fitting beneath her chin.

"The fifteenth of December is a Saturday," Carla began, trying to sound casual, though her voice shook. She felt Michelle stiffen against her and bit her lip, wondering if she'd chose the wrong moment completely. "I mean, I just...Sally told me the Town Hall had a slot available. She was poking her nose in under the pretence of debriefing me about the factory." Michelle tilted her head back to look up at her, waiting for her to continue. She didn't look angry or uncertain, she looked curious. Carla swallowed, her breath hitching slightly as she breathed deeply. "It's nice for photos, there's enough room for close family and friends...Not too much hassle for everyone to get back to the Rovers, afterwards. Johnny and Jenny will disown us if we don't let them host our reception."

"It's less than three months away," Michelle whispered, though she didn't sound opposed to the suggestion. In fact, the younger woman's heart had began to flutter, hardly daring to even think about what Carla was getting at.

"And you're a wedding planner." The other brunette reminded her, reaching down to tuck her fingertips beneath her chin, her thumb brushing along the line of her jaw. "Plus, there's two brides this time. We'll be twice as efficient."

Carla waited on baited breath, watching Michelle process the information, practically able to hear the cogs in her brain as she mentally prepared a list of tasks and the likelihood of how quickly they'd be able to get through them all. It seemed possible.

"Fifteenth of December?" Michelle checked, picking up on how nervous the other woman seemed, unable to help herself from finding it endearing.

"Fifteenth of December." Carla confirmed, nodding slowly, her lips twisting to the side as she waited for the other woman to voice her own opinion on the idea, trying to keep her voice steady, as though she was merely negotiating order deadlines and not arranging the most important day of their lives. Whatever helped to calm her sudden anxiety.

After an agonising pause, which felt like minutes rather than the few seconds it actually was, Michelle nodded, slowly and then more certainly. Carla's heart leapt, moisture pricking in the corner of her eyes.

"Yeah?" She whispered, Michelle's face blurring when her vision suddenly became misty.

"Yeah." Michelle stretched up and touched her lips softly against a very shell-shocked Carla's, moving her own hand to the woman's cheek. "Yes." She repeated more firmly, clearly, and the older brunette let out a noise that sounded halfway between a laugh and sob, the wetness in her eyes spilling down her cheeks. Michelle brushed them away, her face lighting up as she beamed, tears of delight steaming down her own face as Carla pulled her back in, connecting their lips on a kiss that was firm, full of love and assurance. Responding eagerly, the younger woman's hand moved into Carla's hair, lightly tugging on her lower lip in a bid to get the brunette to deepen it. Carla allowed her the access both of them needed, caught up in the sheer joy of the moment. They only broke apart when the lack of oxygen became dizzying, or maybe it was the intimacy that had caused their heads to swim. Michelle nudged her nose against Carla's, her lips already forming the splitting smile she'd been unable to keep at bay even before their kiss had fully broken.

"We're getting married," Carla whispered in disbelief, the heat of her words hot against the younger brunette's lips, her laughter causing a warmth against her skin.

"In three months." Michelle nodded, her mouth only millimetres from her fiancée's.

"Less than three months."

They looked at one another, as though hardly daring to believe the reality. It didn't feel like reality, it felt like a hapless dream that should have been long lost to them, this kind of happiness never befell upon two kids raised on one of the worst estates in Manchester. It didn't make sense, but then it felt like it had always meant to be that way. Michelle felt Carla gently brush away the lingering dampness on her cheeks, mirroring her earlier actions, both of them holding onto one another, marvelling once more at the journey they'd had to undertake that had enabled them to be in that very moment.

"Eighty-seven days."

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! Sorry for the delay, I wanted to get this up sooner but bleh, creative block! Small reference to the girls past in there, so if you'd like more detail about that and haven't done so already, check out my little one-shot 'Safe, for a night'! Muchos love to you all, mwah x**


	23. Chapter 23

**Tw: sexual references**

"Michelle, open the door." Carla rapped her knuckles thee times against the wooden surface, letting out a sigh of annoyance. "'Chelle, if you don't open this door, I'll get one of the boys to break it down."

No sooner had the words left her mouth, the bathroom door swung open, revealing a harassed looking Michelle, fluffy dressing down synched around her waist and a frown of disapproval adorning her features.

"They're both out." Her reply was stubborn as she eye'd the older brunette, looking thoroughly put out.

"Yeah, well, it got you to open up. Where have they gone?" Carla took it upon herself to push her way into the bathroom, despite Michelle's incredulous sigh.

"Into town I think." The younger woman shrugged, folding her arms more securely across her chest. "They're getting on so much better. I hope Ryan watches out for him."

"They'll be fine, don't worry about them." Carla assured her, reaching up to place her arms on Michelle's shoulders. "I know why you're avoiding me. You can't hide forever."

Michelle slumped in defeat. She'd retreated to the bathroom only fifteen minutes earlier, claiming she was going for a bath, though Carla hadn't heard the taps running at all.

"You need to show me at some point." Carla pointed out, her stomach sinking at Michelle's wince; the younger brunette had shrank back, perching on the edge of the bath, her features contorted in a reluctant grimace. "Do you really think I'm going to hate you for this?"

"I'm more worried you're going to pin the blame on yourself." Again, Carla was reminded how much Michelle knew her.

"Michelle, we cant go on like this. Just show me, it'll be okay. Do you really think it's going to change anything? I thought you knew how much I loved you."

At her words, the younger woman's shoulders sagged and she reluctantly pulled apart the collar of her gown, revealing herself to the other woman. It wasn't even half as bad as she'd been anticipating. A small, red, angry line clinched together with tiny dark stitches marred her hip. It stood out somewhat starkly against her tanned skin but the olde woman knew, from experience, that the prominence of it would fade drastically in time.

"It's healing well," Carla commented nodding her approval, her hand falling to Michelle's side. "And you still look out of this world amazing."

Michelle glanced up at her, her dark eyes filling with tears that reflected the ceiling light, causing them to sparkle.

"I love you," Carla whispered, sliding her arms around the younger brunette's bare waist, pulling her flush against her lithe frame. "I love you more than anything. I can't wait to marry you."

It seemed Michelle was struggling with the older brunette's brute honesty, her emotions getting the better of her. Carla reached up with one hand to cup her cheek, the other hand reaching out to take Michelle's, placing her hand against her own abdomen. "Hey, we match."

The younger woman moved forward, her arms sliding around Carla's waist as she learnt against her, inhaling the scent of her, appreciating the warmth and comfort of having her close. Her eyes fluttered shut when Carla weaved her fingertips into her hair, stroking them against her scalp. It was silent until the other brunette let out a hum of amusement.

"What?"

"It reminds me of that Greek myth." Carla mused, somewhat lost in thought until she caught the younger woman's bemused frown. "I learnt it from Roy." She added, rolling her shoulder nonchalantly.

"Well, aren't you going to tell me it?"

Carla perched against the porcelain beside Michelle, slinking her arm around her waist, her other hand moving to loosely grip hers, brushing her thumb over the back of it. "I don't remember it fully," she admitted, when Michelle turned to face her curiously, waiting for her to begin. "It was something like on the beginning, we were all created with two faces-"

"Well that rings true for everyone on this street." Michelle scoffed, though shrank back guiltily when Carla shot her a look.

"If you're not interested in hearing this, you can just say." She raised her eyebrow warningly and the younger woman craned her neck to press a quick kiss against her lips.

"I am, i'm sorry. I won't interrupt again."

Clearing her throat pointedly, Carla inhaled and began the story again, allowing Michelle to link their fingers together as she spoke. "So, apparently, we were created with four arms, four legs and two faces. But we decided to scale mount Olympus to the and attack the Gods. So as punishment, Zeus decided to split us up." She paused, wondering if Michelle thought it was ridiculous as it suddenly sounded to her, but she looked fascinated, eager to know where the other woman was taking it. Suddenly realising what she was insinuating herself, her cheeks coloured, but she continued on.

Part of her was pleased she'd been able to remember the story. If she stopped to think, she realised she could probably recall a lot of facts she hadn't known before. It was amazing what you could learn once you were genuinely interested in what someone had to say and, although living with Roy had its moments, she'd actually found a number of things in his extensive knowledge to be fascinating. Granted, she wasn't fond of bats and his imprinted-on-the-brain encyclopedia of trains and locomotives had fried her own on many occasions, but there had been a number of other subjects that had sparked her interest or amusement.

"According to the myth; he separated us into two parts, condemning us to spend our lives searching for our other half." She finished, the words echoing softly around the tiled room. "It just reminded me of that, how we've ended up with matching scars. As if-"

"That's where we were pulled apart?" Michelle finished, questioningly, a hint of a smile across her lips.

"It's daft, really." Carla shrugged, her eyes cast down to the floor.

"No, it's beautiful." The younger woman reached up to cup her cheek, gently guiding her head around so that they were facing each other once more. "I love that you were reminded of that at the thought of us." She moved closer, until their noses gently brushed by one another, her lips warm when they melded around Carla's where they lingered for a long and welcome moment. "Thank you for telling me."

They sat together a moment longer, soaking up one another's presence, content to just be close. A faint dripping from water droplets falling from the rap and hitting the porcelain filled the calm silence. Carla was still weaving her fingertips through Michelle's hair, show let out a gentle sigh against her ministrations.

"I bet a Greek theme would be pretty." The younger woman mused, her voice soft and low, eyes still closed.

"Hmm?"

"It's just a thought. I don't think we'd have time to pull it off."

Carla leant back slightly, so she could meet her eyes, stroking down her cheek until they fluttered open.

"We could have a look online. Have your bath and we'll put your planning skills to use, yeah?"

Nodding, Michelle rose to her feet, taking Carla's hands in her own.

"I might just jump in the shower, it's quicker." She smiled, leaning in to kiss the older woman's cheek and lingering there; Carla felt the hint of Michelle's smirk against her skin.

"No. We're supposed to be being careful."

In an instant, the smirk pulled in to form a small pout, hazel hues wide and saddened as she tipped her head to one side, regarding the other brunette reproachfully.

"We don't have to do anything, you could just join me."

Rolling her own eyes but sighing in defeat, Carla gave a slow nod of agreement, resting her forehead against Michelle's.

"Okay, Just give me five minutes. Warm it up for us, yeah?" Leaving a chaste kiss against her lips, Carla disappeared from the bathroom. She'd been halfway through washing up when she'd realised Michelle had failed to run the bath she'd disappeared for preciously and had abandoned the task after growing concerned for her. If they were spending the evening planning their upcoming nuptials, she didn't want a pile of pots getting in the way of it.

A smile spread across her lips as rich tones sounded from the bathroom, audible over the sound of the running water. Michelle's shower concerts were a regular occurrence and her voice was quite literally music to Carla's ears. She hummed along to the song she was singing softly, herself, moving the scooter against patterned china, bunker sliding the the plates when she slotted them against the drainer. She was just finishing the last one when the buzzer rang out through the apartment. Cursing under her breath, she dried her hands quickly and made her way over to the door, assuming the boys had forgotten to take a key.

"Back already, you set of lightweights." She spoke teasingly into the phone. The voice that replied back to her caused her fingertips to freeze against the button. She should have known it wouldn't have been Ali of Ryan, the former wouldn't have forgotten to take his key even if the latter had.

"Carla?"

"Yep, come up."

She started to pace the flat in a panicked state, suddenly thankful she'd chosen to tidy up the remainder of the mess than jump in the shower with Michelle. Although maybe if she'd have done that, she wouldn't have been able to answer and they'd have gone away.

"Michelle! Hurry up and finish in there, it's-"

The flat door swung open to reveal a very weather worn Barry and Helen Connor. Faces creased from the harsh winds and low temperatures they were accustomed to back in Ireland. Michelle's father had a pleasant grin on his face, dark eyes twinkling the exact same way his daughters did when she was genuinely happy. A complete contrast to the forced smile that was strained across her soon to be mother-in-law's face, lips pursed, nostrils pinched as though there was an unpleasant scent in the air. The scent of disappointment in her daughter's choice of spouse, Carla guessed, as she forced her own lips to stretch into a smile, her expression pained.

"This is...unexpected." She hovered awkwardly by the sofa as they entered the apartment, as though she was the unwelcome intruder in their home. "Uh, have a seat and I'll get you both a drink. Tea? Coffee? Something stronger?" She offered, about to dart into the kitchen area before Barry stopped her.

"Can I have myself a proper greeting first? I haven't seen you in years!" He offered his arms out warmly, thick Irish accent hearty and welcoming as he enveloped the shell-shocked woman into an inviting embrace, genuinely pleased to see her. Carla returned the hug in bewilderment, a hint of panic stirring in her chest at the look Helen was now giving her.

"Helen," Carla murmured, offering out an uncertain hand, which the older woman took for a brief moment.

"Babe, what's wrong I thought you were join-"

The brunette woman's heart leapt to her throat and she span around, eyes wide, shaking her head frantically at Michelle who had appeared in the living room with a white towelled robe around her body, hair dripping wet and plastered to her face. Carla felt her face grow hot and wished she could disappear. It was bad enough in Helen's eyes that they'd started to see one another, let alone moved in and got engaged, without Michelle having just broadcasted that occasionally they were prone to jumping in the shower together.

"Mum- Dad- What-?" Michelle was choking on her words, suddenly tugging the robe more firmly around herself, her mouth falling open. She blinked a few times, wondering if she'd dropped to sleep before she could even get into the shower and this was just one of those incredibly awkward dreams.

"We thought we'd surprise you!" Barry chuckled heartily, clearly trying to gloss over any tension in the room, while Helen eye'd her daughter in disapproval, shaking her head.

"Really, Michelle, go on and be getting yourself dressed."

"Sorry, I haven't quite worked out how to activate my psychic abilities which inform me when I'm allowed to shower in my own home should my parents who live overseas unexpectedly appear in my apartment."

Carla covered her mouth with her hand, focusing on the floor, unsure whether Michelle was extremely brave or extremely daft, unsure whether she herself wanted to choke back a chuckle or cower.

"Now, really!" Helen turned to her husband when Michelle flounced off into the bedroom, the door closing non-too-quietly behind her. "That's _your_ influence." She suddenly rounded on Carla, jabbing a finger in her direction. The brunette woman raised her eyebrow, eyeing the direction Michelle had just stalked off in with a glint of pride.

"Can I get you that drink?"

Carla was thankful when Michelle reappeared in the living room less than ten minutes later, wearing leggings and a comfortable cream jumper, her hair falling in damp waves around her shoulders where she'd rubbed at it with her towel. She'd been trying to make small talk with Michelle's parents, conversing naturally with Barry but making little progress with Helen, who took small, angry sips of the sherry Carla had poured her. Barry had opted for the same, while Carla had poured herself and her fiancée a generous measure of Merlot.

"Ah, there she is." Her father rose from the sofa the moment he saw her, going over to offer her a similar greeting to the one he gave Carla. Michelle returned it gratefully, kissing his cheek. Despite her frostiness towards Carla, Helen greeted Michelle similarly, as much as she disapproved of her life choices, she must have missed her daughter.

"You should have said you were both coming!" Michelle took a seat next to Carla, automatically resting her hand over the woman's thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We could have made some proper arrangements."

"Well, we're here for two weeks, so you'll have plenty of time to fill us in." Barry clapped his hands together joyfully, already pink in the cheeks just from the one glass he'd already finished. Instantly, Carla was on her feet to top him up, any excuse to leave the area for a moment. She suddenly felt completely out of place.

Despite how far she'd come, how much she'd overcome, there was something about Helen's presence that made Carla feel as though she was right back on that estate, being looked down at for her own parentage as though it was a lifestyle she'd actively chosen for herself.

"Oh, we're staying with Johnny and Jenny over at the Rover's, it's a shame you lost that lovely little place." She heard Helen comment; she was slow timing in the kitchen, delaying the inevitable. "We arranged it a few days ago, made them promise to keep it a secret."

' _I'm going to kill Johnny_ ' Carla thought to herself bitterly, traipsing back over to where they were all sat. She slumped unceremoniously next to Michelle; she knew the younger brunette knew exactly how she was feeling, it was probably why she slinked an arm around her waist and tried to give her a squeeze of reassurance.

"And where's my lovely grandson?" Helen piped up, glancing around the apartment as though expecting him to appear. This time she felt Michelle tense beside her, heard the gulp that sounded in her throat as she visibly swallowed, letting out a puff of air.

"He's out with...well, I guess they're _both_ out- I mean, if we're being technical-"

"He's out on the lash with his brother. They've hit the town." _Lucky sod's._ Carla blurted out, cutting across Michelle's incoherent rambling. The other woman looked shocked for a moment, clearly wondering whether she was angry at how her fiancée had worded the answer to what had been quite a delicate question. But they didn't have time for another one of their silent conversations, Helen had jumped in straight away.

"His brother? What on Earth are you going on about, how much have you had to drink?"

"Oh, not nearly enough." Carla scoffed, picking up her glass once more as though Helen's comment had served as a reminder.

Shooting her a filthy look, Michelle's mother ignored her comment and turned to her daughter in confusion. "Michelle?"

Barry was looking curiously at the pair, not even attempting to calm the animosity brewing between Helen and Carla due to the shock of her revelation.

"Ali...Well, Alex, as you were introduced. My biological son."

Carla took hold of Michelle's hand when the younger woman braced herself to explain exactly how Ali had come back into their lives and was now living with them. Of course she'd laced their fingers together purely to support Michelle, a form of comfort, knowing how difficult it had been for her in the beginning especially when the two boys hadn't been getting on. The fact that this subtle display of affection seemed to wind Michelle's mother up was merely a bonus. So what if she felt uncomfortable. She'd already tried making Carla feel uncomfortable in her own home.

"And he's a doctor, you say?" Barry nodded, looking somewhat impressed. "Good on him, good on him."

"It's fantastic of him!" Helen looked happier than she had done all night. "Oh, you must be so proud. You do right to support him, can't have the boy stuck in those treacherous student houses. I can't wait to meet him."

Michelle looked unsure at her enthusiasm, Carla knew she was worried about how Ryan would react if his grandparents started to fuss over Ali. Or how Ali would react for that matter, he wasn't one for overly affectionate displays. She had a feeling both herself and Michelle's biological son would probably form similar opinions over Helen's overbearing interference.

"And how is he finding this... This _set up_." Helen's eyes flickered between Michelle and Carla, she shuffled awkwardly in her seat before continuing. "Is it not all a bit crowded?"

"We manage. It won't be forever." Michelle shrugged, quickly adding in. "Ali and Ryan will move out at some point." Her mother seemed to be in some sort of denial about the entire situation.

"Well, Carla, your father now owns a pub. Would it not be efficient-"

"Hang on, are you suggesting- How would that work? Even if i did sling my hook, it's Michelle and I who share a bed. Ryan's a bit old to be topping and tailing with mummy, don't you think?" She broke off to drain the rest of the burgundy liquid that she'd swirled around in her glass, the inside of her lips stained as she stretched them into a smirk. "Besides, I own this apartment too and I very much like where I lie down at night."

"Carla!" Michelle hissed, though she looked equally angry at her mother too. "Alright, look. Mum, you had no right to say that, this is Carla's home and you really need to get over the fact that we live together."

"She doesn't think I'm good enough for you." Carla replied simply, shrugging her shoulder. Reaching out, she picked up the glass that Michelle hadn't touched and took a long gulp from it; she wasn't even enjoying it. It tasted sour, burned her throat on the way down, barely numbing her insecurities.

"Well of course you're not! Look at the state of you!" Helen suddenly snapped, flapping her hands at Barry who had attempted to reason with her.

" _Mum!"_ Michelle jumped up from her seat, wincing slightly and clapping her hand to her hip, ignoring the twinge due to the anger building in her chest.

Once again, it fell to her father to douse the fire that all three women had been pouring fuel into. He stood up from where he was seated, concern marring his features, mirroring Carla'a own when Michelle had showed visible signs that she was in pain. "Now, look, you've both had a long week and we've had a long journey. We're all tired. Maybe we should head off and we can talk properly when it's more convenient for the pair of you."

Nodding in agreement, Michelle let out an exhausted sigh. It had been a bad idea for Helen to be sprung on Carla like that, both of them having jumped into defence mode immediately. But if the only problem Helen had with her fiancée was that she didn't deem her good enough, Michelle knew she was going to damn well fight to show her how amazing she really was.

"It's been lovely to see you both." Barry hugged them both in turn once more, glancing over at his wife who was beginning to gather her bag and coat together. "I'll talk to your mum." He murmured quietly, though Michelle wasn't particularly reassured. It seemed that every time they'd been in contact, he'd had to formulate the same response. She supposed he was trying to get through to her the best he could.

"I expect you'll be calling into the Rovers to see us now you know it's where we're staying." Helen nodded, releasing Michelle from her clutches and eyeing her fervently.

"We're going to be busy over the next few days. I've got a ton to catch up on with work. But you're here for engagement party on Friday, aren't you?" Michelle suggested casually, causing Helen to flip around with a frown.

"You mean our family get together?"

"Well, yeah. But it's to celebrate-"

"Then we'll be there." Her mother cut across her before she could finish, ignoring the growl of anger that Carla released, which turned into a sarcastic shout when Helen left the flat without even bidding Carla goodbye.

Michelle closed the door behind them and let out a harassed sigh, pushing her hand stressfully through her hair. "Baby..."

But Carla wasn't answering, she was pacing the living room floor, breathing deeply into her hands, eyes closed. She was counting softly to herself.

"Babe, I know, I know," Carla still hadn't opened her eyes, backing away further when Michelle reached out to her.

"That _woman!_ " She suddenly spat, her eyes dark, face reddened in anger. "She just knows doesn't she? How to get right under my skin! How to make me feel like that stupid, worthless estate kid-"

"Hey, hey," Michelle reached out and cupped her face, rushing her thumbs over her cheeks. "You're not those things. Ignore my mother, you know how set in her ways she is. She probably doesn't even know that she likes you. She'd drop dead with shock if she realised." She tried to tease, wrapping her arms around the other woman and pulling into a close embrace, swaying her gently. "I hope you're not taking what she said to heart. You're more than good enough for me. Driven, successful, beautiful; I hope both of my sons find someone as amazing as the person I've got." She whispered reassuringly, dropping a light kiss to the top of her head.

"I just wish we'd have had some warning." Carla sighed, her anger suddenly melting away when the comforting scent of her fiancée infiltrated her senses, Michelle's soothing fingers caressing her hair. The younger woman's words had caused her heart to swell, a small smile gracing her lips. "Wait until I get hold of Johnny. I'll wring his neck."

Michelle lead her back over to the sofa, flopping down against the cushions and gesturing for Carla to sit with her, guiding her down until she had her head in the younger woman's lap, where she continued to stroke over chestnut tresses. "You just leave mum to me, okay? I'll sort this out." She assured the older brunette, her nails lightly grazing against her scalp as she continued to massage her fingertips in her hair, effectively easing the tension that had caused her shoulders to tighten.

"Mhmm... keep doing that." Carla murmured, her eyes now closed.

Truth be told, Michelle didn't have the first idea about how she was going to tackle her mother's ridiculous attitude. She didn't know how introducing Ali to her once more was going to go, she was already worrying about the notion of it firing up any lingering tension that lay between him and Ryan and on top of all of that, she was still extremely behind in her work. Her parents untimely visit couldn't have been anymore inconvenient, though she supposed that was harsh on her father; he seemed on board with the idea.

"You know, if mum wasn't so hellbent on being a hindrance, they could have been a big help in planning, God knows we could use it." Michelle sighed, watching that Carla had wrapped across her waist slide down to find hers, where she laced their fingers together.

"Well, it's like you said, she's set in her ways. It's not in her nature to make things easy." The older brunette's anger seemed to have dissipated under Michelle's skilled ministrations, a content mumble rolling from her lips. "Let's just do whatever we need to do to get through these next two weeks, and then we'll knuckle down on anything else that's left." Even in her more relaxed and reasonable state, Carla knew that her words were so much easier said.

 **IXIXIXI**

"Oh, no, come on. Not now. Don't do this to me!" Michelle frowned, shaking her iPad as though she could force it into submission. The screen had gone completely white and had refused to cooperate. It had been on the blink for days, but now it seemed completely broken. She'd been halfway through answering emails when it had decided to ruin her day. Huffily, she launched the device against the cushions. It wasn't what she needed, she had her own engagement party at the end of the week and she had wanted a few work-free days so as to be able to herself fully. Or as much as she could with her parents on her case. Due to her injury it had come down from a party and was now to be a family meal.

"What's up with you?" Carla frowned, appearing from the bedroom fully dressed for a day at the office. A trail of expensive perfume followed her wake. Her outfit consisted of a fitted black skirt, a long sleeved ochre blouse tucked into it. Michelle reached out and took hold of where the tie detailing hung loosely around her neck, twirling the piece of material around her fingertips.

"You look nice." She commented, sounding casual, though made it obvious that she was scanning the other woman's figure in immense detail.

"Hmm," Carla batted her hand away, though leant down and stole a kiss from her, about to pull away when Michelle pulled her back, offering her a longer one.

"I'm not fragile. Stop treating me like I'm made of glass." She chastised, frowning up at her. "You'd hate it if it was the other way around, don't deny it." Michelle spoke as though daring her to and the other brunette shrank back, looking guilty. The previous night hadn't exactly gone to plan. Well, not as Michelle had planned anyway. Carla had shunned her attempt at intimacy, claiming that Barry and Helen's arrival had put a dampener on her mood, but Michelle knew she was scared of hurting her.

"I'm sorry about last night." Carla began, and Michelle was no longer shocked at the other woman's seeming ability to read her mind. She was used to it now.

"If you didn't want to, you could have just said. You didn't have to make up an excuse. You know it's always okay to say-"

"Don't, 'Chelle. You know I wanted to." Carla sighed, bringing herself around to the front of the sofa and perching herself next to Michelle.

The younger woman was dressed a lot more comfortably, black leggings and a long lined white t shirt; the outfit a lot more gentler on her skin than the tight denim or leather that usually encased her figure. Not that she looked any less amazing for it, Carla hadn't failed to notice. It had been hard work to refuse her the night before and, now that Michelle was pressing why she had, her own reasoning seemed to be losing resolve. "I just don't want you to have to hurt anymore than you have been."

"You're the last person in the world who could hurt me. I trust you." To prove her point, she caught the older brunette off guard and pulled her flush against her frame, careful not to hold any of her weight against her injured side. Carla let out a cry of shock, her hands falling either side of her fiancée as she held herself up.

"Michelle!" She berated, though accepted the kiss she was attempting to press against her lips. "Tonight, okay?"

Nodding against her mouth, she still hadn't let Carla go, her hands tangling themselves in the older brunettes hair. "Mm...What about right now?"

"I've got to go to work."

"Okay," Michelle whispered, causing the other woman to glance up in shock at her reasonable attitude. Until, that was, she felt her lips part against her own, the hot swipe of her tongue against her lower one as she deepened their kiss.

"I know exactly what you're trying to do." Carla warned, pulling back and tipping the younger woman's chin, glaring at her in mock disapproval. "And you never answered my question."

"What question?"

"Why were you in a huff, before?"

"Oh." Michelle rolled her eyes, reaching beneath herself to extract the iPad from where she'd been crushing it, which probably hadn't helped its state. The screen was still white, still useless. "And before you start, yes I've tried turning it off and on. It just stays stuck blank." She sighed, passing the device over to Carla and watching her examine it, though neither of them were exactly experts in technology.

"Well, we can ask one of the lads to take a look at it." Carla suggested, placing it on the coffee table. "Failing that, we can run it to a repair shop in town."

"Doesn't help me now, though. I was halfway through my emails."

Carla chewed her lip in thought, absentmindedly pushing her hand through Michelle's hair, automatically attempting to ease even part of her stress.

"Come into the factory with me. There's a spare desk, spare computer. You can log in there, can't you?"

"Really? You don't mind?" Michelle perked up instantly, pushing herself into a more seated position.

"Why would I?" Carla chuckled, a bemused expression forming across her face. "I'd be glad of the company. Well, _your_ company." She moved her hand from Michelle's hair to her cheek, her thumb grazing softly against her skin. It was like she was seeing her again for the first time, the intensity of her gaze almost causing Michelle to drop her own, but she couldn't. The way those green hues consumed every bit of her was part of the intimacy Carla had been holding back and the more she held it back, the more she craved it.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

The other woman didn't answer, instead moving in for another kiss, lingering with her mouth slightly parted. She was giving her the option, waiting to see whether Michelle would deepen it, and when she did, she knew it was inevitable that they were both going to be late into the factory...

It was fairly decent outside, not too hot, a slight breeze lifting their hair as they stepped out onto the cobbles together, hand it hand. They weren't as late and they'd expected to be, in fact they were barely ten minutes but she'd already had a snappy text from Peter who'd told her on-too-kindly that he'd had to be dragged from his shift at Street cars to open up for the workforce when they'd contacted him over Carla's lateness.

"See, they could have gone over to the cafe for a brew but they had to snitch on me." Carla shook her head, swinging Michelle's hand slightly. "I'll get them back." She smirked, causing Michelle to chuckle and tuck herself beneath her fiancées arm while they walked. The younger woman seemed cheery, she was greeting the local residents who passed by with a cheery 'Morning!' and a fantastic grin, which shocked more than a few considering what had happened just over a week ago.

"What's got into you?"

"As if you didn't know!" Michelle smirked, pulling her even closer, halting the older brunette's steps so she could reach up for a quick kiss.

"Oh, I'm with you." Carla replied huskily, returning the gesture with a lingering one of her own. "I hope you're pleased with yourself, it's your fault I'm in trouble."

Letting out a mellifluous giggle, Michelle took her hand once more to lead her towards the factory. It was only when the building came into view that the grin suddenly faltered and slid from the younger woman's face and she swallowed hard against the sudden dryness in her mouth. The garage was open, Kevin was whistling to himself, muttering a curse when the heavy spanner he was holding slipped from his grip. It fell with a loud clatter against the solid floor and Michelle jumped, her heart starting to speed up rapidly in her chest.

Carla noticed the younger woman falter, unsteady on her feet as she tried to push herself to move further towards the Factory steps.

"'Chelle?" She took her face in her hands, trying to meet her eyes but they were glazed over, looking straight through her and then searching frantically around the street. Carla recognised the warning signs instantly, Michelle's hyper breathing hot against her face. "Hey, can you hear me? You're okay, you're safe."

But just as she spoke, a car rounded the corner, slowing to a halt. It was harmless, one of street Car's cabs, due a service at the garage, a quick, good-natured blast of its horn warning the two women that it was coming through.

" _No!"_ Michelle screamed out, attempting to push Carla out of the way, but the other brunette caught her and bundled her arms around her frame, pulling the younger woman against her body.

"It's okay, it's okay," She whispered desperately, trying to calm Michelle, who was still struggling against her.

"I...I can't breathe, I can't-"

"You can, you can do it with me," Surprised at her own ability to remain calm, she placed Michelle's hand against her chest, inhaling deeply. "Remember? Breathe with me, slowly."

It hadn't bothered her that the driver had vacated his vehicle to watch what the fuss was about. Steve was leaning against the car with concern across his features, as though wondering if he should go over and help. She caught his gaze over the top of Michelle's head and nodded to him, hoping he'd take the hint and leave them be. The younger brunette was following Carla's instructions, the suffocating tightness in her chest becoming less restrictive with every shaking breath she released, inhaling every time she felt Carla's push against her hand.

"That's it, well done, darling," Carla murmured her encouragement, swiping her thumb against the tears that lingered on her fiancées cheeks. "Do you want to go back home?"

Michelle glanced around the street, dropping her gaze when she realised that she'd had an audience to the scene she'd created; those working in the garage had downed tools when she'd screamed, wondering what on Earth was going on. Taking a deep breath, which still hitched even with her fiancées gentle reassurances, she shook her head defiantly, nodding towards the factory entrance.

"No, I want to go in."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? You don't have to, I completely under-"

"Carla, I'm going in." Michelle spoke through gritted teeth, determined as she forced herself to take on the steps up to Underworld. Carla slid her arm around her waist, she could feel her trembling, her eyes sparkling with tears, but she was also continuing to inhale and exhale with great concentration.

It was only once they were both safely behind closed doors that Michelle's shoulders sagged and she let out a quiet sob, half of relief, half still panicked. Their arrival hadn't gone unnoticed by the workforce, firstly because Carla was late, which was probably going to be the first comment on the more mouthy staff member's tongues. However, the words died on Beth's lips along with the whirring of machinery when they realised that Carla was with Michelle, who no one had seen since the news that there'd been a shooting outside of the factory. As if that wasn't enough to gawk at, the younger brunette had collapsed in tears against Carla as soon as they'd tumbled onto the work floor together. The Factory boss shook her head and settled a fierce glare over Michelle's shoulder as she stroked the woman's hair comfortingly, a dire warning that any comments wouldn't be appreciated.

"Right, two coffees I think for my lovelies!" Sean immediately jumped up from his machine and wandered over to the duo, placing a tactful hand on both of their shoulders and beginning to coax them towards the office, while the buzz of machines instantly began up once more. Throwing a grateful smile over to all of the staff members, she seated Michelle in her own chair. Reaching across the desk, she plucked a couple of tissues from the box by the computer, pressing them into the younger woman's tense hands.

"Thank you," she sniffed, dabbing at her eyes delicately. "Sorry for making a fuss."

"Hey, look at me," Crouching down, Carla placed her fingertips beneath Michelle's chin, offering her an encouraging smile. "I'm really proud of you. What you just did was incredible." At the younger woman's sceptic frown, she cupped her cheeks, brushing her thumbs beneath her eyes, erasing the remaining wetness before leaning in and pressing her lips to her forehead, fingertips sliding around her face and weaving into the back of her hair. "That must have been so difficult, to fight against every instinct to run. You're the strongest person I know. You've always been a fighter, it's one of the things I admire most about you."

Her words were warm against Michelle's skin, the whispered sincerity of them causing her cheeks to heat up slightly. She was able to finally manage a smile after Carla had dipped down to kiss the tip of her nose and reached out to her, a silent request for the other brunette to carefully slide into her lap.

"You always know how to make me feel better." Michelle murmured, squeezing her gently as she nuzzled into her shoulder. Her heart rate was back to normal, but she felt tired and was grateful Sean had disappeared off to make coffee.

"Ah, that's because-"

"You know me?" The younger brunette finished for her, eliciting a chuckle from Carla, who moved in for a kiss.

The office door swing open and the smooth aroma of rich coffee suddenly caused her mouth to water. They broke apart gently, and were greeted with the over excited presence of Sean once more.

"Right, my darlings. Two coffee's, no sugars!" He chirped, setting the steaming mugs down onto the desk with flamboyance before reaching out to take Michelle's hand, giving it a squeeze. "I was worried about you, chick, I'm glad to see you back on your feet."

"Thanks, Sean," she smiles up at him gratefully, craning her neck to touch a swift kiss against his cheek. He patted the back of her hand appreciatively before his eyes widened and he let out a gasp.

"Ey, 'Chelle! Did I see your mum and dad at the cafe this morning?"

He looked slightly taken aback when both women groaned in annoyance, followed by a burdened eye roll.

"Please, please don't remind me." Michelle wailed, dropping her head back against her fiancées shoulder. "I'm still working on taming the dragon." Carla ruffled her hair affectionately, turning back to Sean.

"Hey, could you do me another favour? Fetch us a plate of the good biccies, eh? Get this one's sugar levels up." She nodded to Michelle, and moved to pass one of the mugs over to her. "It's going to be a long day, I think she could do with it."

 **IXIXIXI**

Two weeks. That's all. So she was halfway through. Helen and Barry's presence was exhausting and frustrating, almost as frustrating as the complete lack of Michelle's over the last week. Granted, the woman was rushed off her feet trying to catch up with everything she'd missed while being hospitalised and during her recovery, but Carla had warned her against pushing herself so hard. On top of that, it wasn't like they shouldn't be busy planning a wedding much closer to home. Every time the older brunette had tried to catch Michelle, she'd always been driving off to meet clients, hunched over a million emails or chatting animatedly on the phone, hushing Carla and batting her away in annoyance. What free time they might have had together was cut into owing to the fact that she was purposely making herself busy every time Michelle had made notion that she was meeting with her parents. Carla might have felt guilty for Barry, but Barry came with Helen and Helen brought on a burning desire to drink. For her own health, she was staying well away.

They were cutting in extremely fine if they wanted a half decent wedding cake, it was something they needed to get around to firstly agreeing on and then ordering as soon as possible. Which would actually require Michelle to sit down for longer than five minutes. Having just returned from a meeting to find the flat empty (she was positive the younger woman hadn't any clients to see that morning) she'd wandered aimlessly into the Rovers and was informed by the lunching workforce that Michelle had sauntered into her office and situated herself at the desk, hiding herself behind the screen of a computer without so much as a second glance at the staff.

Making her way up the factory steps, she pushed the door open and entered the quiet building, she could hear Michelle's voice, faint, chattering away behind the glass, office phone pressed against her ear.

"I've been trying to find you!"

"Shush!" Michelle covered the mouthpiece as she hissed at the other woman, waving her hand impatiently.

Folding her arms in frustration, Carla scowled at her cheek, letting the fury build as Michelle focused her entire attention on the phone call, laughing down the line, tone bordering on what Carla considered almost flirtatious as she said her goodbye's and ended the call.

"Am I allowed to speak in my own Factory now?" She failed to keep the bite out of her tone and Michelle looked up, startled, her moth falling open at the glare she was receiving.

"I've got clients, Carla!"

"Yes and you've got your own wedding to plan!" She snapped back, folding her arms defiantly across her chest. "But fine. Fine. Doesn't matter. Our own wedding cake can just be a pork pie tiered on top of a Manchester tart and topped off with a scotch egg, as long as Evangeline and Emmanuel get their frosted sugar-" Carla was cut off at the sound of Michelle's laughter, part of her was unsure whether it endeared or infuriated her further.

The younger woman stood up from her seat, moving towards Carla and lightly slinging her arms around the other brunette's neck.

"How very Northern," she grinned, leaning in closer until her lips were pressed against the other woman's forehead. "You make me laugh," Michelle ducked down and kissed her, softly, before lowering her lips to her neck. At this point Carla pushed her away.

"Not here."

"No one's in, just lock the door."

Carla let out an incredulous scoff.

"I'm mad at you. I've been chasing you all week and I find you in here, using my computer, planning a wedding that isn't ours." She raised her eyebrow, taking deliberate steps towards Michelle, whose lips were just beginning to form into a smirk. Carla reached out and took the younger woman's chin between her thumb and forefinger, gripping almost too firmly. "And now you're trying to call the shots?" Her voice had dipped and it caused a pleasured thrill to cascade down Michelle's spine. She walked the younger woman the short distance backwards until she was perched against her desk. "This is _my_ office, _my_ rules. _I'm_ the boss." Her eyes were so dark, so intense, starting unfalteringly straight into the other woman's in a way that could have almost been intimidating. "Is that clear?" Her voice had dropped, bypassing a purr, it was almost a growl, deep and dangerous. Michelle's breath hitched, heart thudding erratically in her chest, the other woman was practically preying on her and she was soaking up every second of it. Her features were a picture of startled innocence as she played along; eyes wide and questioning, mouth slightly parted, front teeth dragging softly on her lower lip.

"Yes, _Mrs Connor."_

A satisfied growl left the older woman's lips only seconds before Michelle found herself forced back against the desk, colliding with a pen pot which toppled over and crashed to the floor, biro's rolling along the office floor, highlighters and paperclips scattered as she found herself against the hard surface. Carla's body was straddling hers, her fingertips fisted in the material of her top, harsh kisses bruising her mouth which she welcomed by parting her own. The office soon filled with the sound of heavy gasping, the occasional sound of more stationary falling from the desk, reports that had been neatly stacked into piles sliding onto the floor, fluttered whispers merging in with the panted breaths.

Carla craved control and Michelle gave it to her wholly. There was no teasing, no delaying, she responded to the older woman's commands as soon as they were spoken. A dull ache was already spreading along her arm but she continued to obey Carla's demand for more. Using her other arm to prop herself up, she watched the other woman start to come undone, marvelled in the way her hair rippled around her shoulders as she threw her head back in delight. Maybe it was the animalistic cry that left it, but the sudden exposure of her throat had the younger woman suddenly inclined to sink her teeth into it. She eased herself up fully, her arm winding around Carla's waist to keep her from toppling back and latched onto her skin, eliciting a second sharp cry from the woman who was still completely caught in the waves of pleasure. One hand tangled in Michelle's hair, gripping tight to keep her in place while the other pawed at her back, nails dragging across black lace.

It was only when she finally grew silent that she released her grip on the younger woman, thighs trembling as she attempted to slide from her frame.

"Steady," Michelle murmured, reaching out to her, Carla's hands moving to stroke down her cheek, her actions gentle; the complete opposite to how she'd been not moments previous. "Better?" She questioned, biting down on her lower lip to stop the grin that has began to form across them.

Nodding, Carla touched her forehead to Michelle's, still catching her breath, still caressing her skin tenderly. "Are you okay? It wasn't too much? You're not hurt?" She searched the younger woman's eyes frantically, suddenly panicked now that she was coming down from the fiery passion.

"I'm more than okay." She murmured, tipping her chin and leaning in for a kiss. This one was sweet, compassionate, the soft warmth of the other woman's lips melding seamlessly with her own. She allowed Carla to pull her against her chest, her head ticking neatly beneath her chin where she dipped down to lace kisses into her hair. The other woman seemed to hold her a lot more these days, randomly when she was washing up, sneaking up behind her to slip her arms around her waist when she was stood at the bar; she suspected it had something to do with the attack that had caused her recent stint in hospital. It was probably why Carla had insisted she'd started to take her work to the factory with her in the first place while her iPad was being fixed.

It can't have been easy or convenient for her, having two sets of businesses in one small office, picking up the wrong phones and confirmation sheets. She'd got halfway to a meeting before realising she'd brought along the drawn up rota of one of Michelle's client's wedding days, forcing her to turn the car around and causing her to turn up late. They'd since organised the office into a more efficient working environment. Although, looking at it now, after their recent actions, it looked all the more chaotic. Michelle was having similar thoughts of her own as she cast her gaze around the room, eyes falling to the mass of paper and equipment splashed carelessly across the floor.

"We made a mess," she commented needlessly, tilting her chin so she was instead looking up at Carla, who smiled down at her, a glint of mischief twinkling in mossy green hues.

"It was worth it."

"Well we'd better get it cleared if we want to make it to our appointment _and_ be back in time to get ready for our engagement meal." She glanced up at the clock, chewing her lip as she tried to mentally work out how long each of the tasks would take.

"What appointment?"

"The one I made with the owner of that bakery you were harping on about." She grinned, watching realisation dawn upon the other woman. "See, I was listening."

"You never said!" Carla couldn't work out whether she was berating or praising her fiancée.

"Well it was fun to wind you up." Michelle shrugged, purposefully pushing herself up against the other brunette as she leant down to retrieve a pot which still held a handful of the pens that hadn't managed to escape across the office floor. She felt Carla's arms slide around her waist when she straightened back up, looking back over her shoulder to find the woman's lips inches away from her own. Michelle connected them together briefly, once, twice, then finally a lingering third.

"Carla."

"I know, I love you too."

Michelle couldn't stop the grin spreading across her face, turning around to she could embrace the other woman, lightly brushing her fingertips over her back. "Stop reading my mind."

"Maybe you're just predictable?" Carla teased, earning herself a gentle tap on the shoulder from her fiancée. "We'd better get going, hadn't we?" She took a habitual peek over at the clock on the wall, before pulling her phone from her pocket. She fired off a quick text to Peter,

informing him he was going to have to open up the Factory after lunch time, without giving him an explanation as to why.

"He'll give you hell for that." Michelle warned, slipping her hand into Carla's as she tugged her towards the office door.

"I'd like to see him try, I'm immune to his devil." Carla shrugged, giving Michelle's hand a gentle squeeze. "Come on. If we get into town early enough, I've seen a pair of shoes that'd go with my outfit for tonight."

"Oh, have you now?" Michelle fell into step beside her, eyeing her up suspiciously. "And what will you be wearing tonight?"

Carla just turned to her, winking, before leading them both out of the factory and into the dazzling afternoon sunshine.

 **A/n: I'm sorry for the delay in this chapter- hopefully there's still sufficient interest in this fic! I haven't been well so had a bit of a break and I know this update is shorter than usual, but I really wanted to get something up despite the huge creative block I've had. It's not my best work but hopefully uploading will get me back into the swing of things. Also, I'm not sure where this will go in terms of what has just happened on the show, whether I should include Ronan's terrorisation of the Connor family but fit it to this pairing, or whether people would rather it be left out. I'll have to give it some thought. The full story of the reference to Greek Mythology in this chapter is actually quite fascinating and it takes into account both heterosexual and same-sex pairings. If you're interested, it can be found here:** /2018/01/08/meaning-soul-mate-according-greek-mythology/

 **Thank you to those of you who are still reading. I hope I won't be away as long this time! More dysfunctional family 'fun' to come!**


	24. Chapter 24

Carla was already on her second glass of wine. She knew Michelle would go spare, but there was no way she could face a full evening with Helen without having had something to take the edge off. Swallowing the smooth liquid, she already felt the guilt squirming in her stomach; Carla knew how bad it was for her. It might have been numbing the dread but she swore she could feel it poisoning her insides. Hovering her hand above the glass, she was half tempted to throw the rest of it down the sink. Aidan had risked his life to save hers and this is how she was going to thank him. By ignoring all the warnings about cutting down her alcohol intake. But it was only until Helen had left them in peace and then she was sure she wouldn't feel the need any longer.

"How many of those have you had?" Jumping, she turned around and found Michelle staring at her; hair and make-up complete, but a fluffy dressing gown wrapped around her frame. Carla had used the shower first, meaning she'd been ahead of the other woman in getting ready.

Swallowing, Carla swirled the liquid around the glass, watching it whirl in slow, tempting circles. Too tempting. She refused to meet the younger woman's eyes as she parted her mouth to answer, deep plum already tinting the inside of her lips, staining the surface of her tongue.

"It's just my second." She shrugged, trying to sound as though it wasn't a huge deal, but the words came out raspy, unsure and she coughed at the sudden dryness in her throat.

"Carla," Michelle's tone was gentle, but a warning all the same. Sighing, the older woman placed the glass back against the counter, resting her hands flat against the cool marble, closing her eyes as she let out a deep sigh.

"I know, 'Chelle, alright? I know. It's bad for me. I shouldn't be drinking regularly." She turned away from her, not wanting to see the disappointment in her face, not wanting an argument to start and put a further dampener on the evening.

But Michelle didn't even answer and Carla wondered if that was worse. Her eyes remained closed, which was partly why the warming pressure of the younger brunette's arms sliding around her frame made her jump. Michelle could smell the expensive perfume emanating from her skin when she nuzzled into her neck, lingering for a second before slowly turning the other woman around to face her. Carla looked confused, she'd welcomed the embrace but hadn't understood what she'd done to deserve it, having fully been expecting a lecture. The warm hazel pools trying to catch her gaze were so soft and caring, they dropped to scan her entirely. A sleek, deep, teal blouse hung flatteringly from her shoulders, the satiny material shimmering in the kitchen light. It was tucked into a fitted black skirt which ended a little above her knee, giving way to sheer black tights and a pair of wedged ankle boots. Michelle reached out for her hand, thumb stroking over the ring that sparkled on her finger, raising the other to tip the older woman's chin, meeting her inquisitive green eyes.

"You look stunning," she whispered, biting her lip to suppress the grin that attempting to stretch across her lips upon noticing Carla's cheeks were tinted pink, the blush that had spread across them peeking through the light layer of foundation she'd previously blended into her skin.

"I was wondering if it looked a bit too business-y." Carla murmured, her eyes dipping down as she spoke, her teeth tugging uncertainly on her lower lip.

"No, it's perfect. You're perfect." Michelle assured her, capturing one of the loose waves Carla had styled her hair into and twirling it gently around her finger. "I know you're worried about tonight." The younger woman nodded towards the almost empty glass just over Carla's shoulder. "You don't have to be, it's a celebration, okay? For us."

"Your mother doesn't seem to think that's a cause worth celebrating." Carla sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly. She allowed Michelle to pull her in once more, the fluffy material of her dressing gown soft and inviting against her cheek. Her arms slid around her waist and Carla wished that they could stay home to enjoy a cosy night in together.

"Me and dad have been wearing her down." Michelle tried to reassure her, but uncertainty flickered in her eyes. While Helen hadn't voiced her disapproval since their first encounter, she had taken to ignoring the presence of their relationship completely. "But you know, I think you only let her get to you so much because you think there's truth in what she says."

Carla didn't answer, unwilling to admit that Michelle was right.

"Come with me." Grasping hold of her hand, the younger woman gently tugged her towards their bedroom. Carla followed her in bewilderment, watching as she plucked the black dress that was hanging on the back of the door and shrugged out of her dressing gown. She watched Michelle with great interest when she eased the garment carefully over her hair; half of it being pinned back, biting her lip when the material seeped over her body, covering her skin but outlining her figure invitingly. For a moment she forgot about her confusion as to why Michelle had needed the exclusive audience; she was a happy and willing witness to the display. At the clearing of the younger woman's throat, she reluctantly dragged her eyes back up to her face, catching the hint of a smirk across it, her brow raised. She stepped into platform heels on her way towards Carla, taking her hand once more to pull her over to the mirrored wardrobe, standing her in front of it.

"Look," She whispered, her hands slipping around Carla's waist once more, waiting until the other woman was also gazing at their reflection before leaning in and touching a soft kiss against the side of her head. When she spoke again, the words tickled her ear. "At how perfect we are together. We just fit, Carla. We work. Don't let anyone make you feel like this isn't something amazing."

Carla, watching Michelle through the mirror, attempted to smile, but it was perfunctory.

"Come on, you've dealt with clients a lot more annoying than my mother."

"Yeah and it's exhausting trying to convince someone you're good enough when they're looking for any excuse for you not to be." Carla sighed, turning away from their reflection and perching on the end of the bed, her fingertips twisting at the corner of the decorative throw that lay neatly across the duvet. "And with clients it's usually not personal, it's just business."

Michelle joined her at the end of the bed, reaching into her lap to entwine their fingertips together. "Carla, there's no such thing as not being good enough for someone. League tables are for football games, not relationships. It doesn't matter who made the most mistakes or who started out worse off. What matters is how we feel and how much we want to be together."

Carla's lips twisted in consideration of the younger woman's words and Michelle added softly. "You've never let anyone get the better of you in your entire life. Come on, darling."

This seemed to jolt her into action. With a firm nod, she got to her feet and pulled Michelle up with her, wrapping her fingers around the other woman's.

"You're right. I don't know why I've let her get to me. Call it a moment of madness." Carla affirmed, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. "Why don't I drive? I won't drink at the meal."

Michelle shook her head, letting her hands go so she could instead slide them around her neck, moving in closer. "You know I don't do it to nag at you or control you, don't you? I just get worried, because I want you here for as long as possible, happy and healthy. I love you."

"'Chelle," Carla whispered, unable to stop herself from leaning into her fiancée, no longer worrying that the delicate curls in her hair were squashed against Michelle's chest when she pressed herself into the close embrace. "I love you, too." She remained there for a moment, before pulling back, a wide grin forming across her lips. "Right, lets go and celebrate us getting to spend the rest of our lives together." Stepping back, she held out her hand for Michelle to take, beginning to lead the other woman from their bedroom. "Where are the lads?"

"They're meeting us there, they've been to a football match." Michelle plucked her phone from the counter and slipped it into her bag. "You don't have to drive, you know? We can get a taxi."

 **IXIXIXI**

Carla's wobble about the evening meant that they arrived at the restaurant a little after everyone else. They'd decided on getting a cab after all, which had added to their lateness and although it was barely fifteen minutes, Kate was throwing them a smug smirk as though they'd been up to something and Helen was clucking her disapproval. In a bid to not be anywhere near her soon to be mother-in-law, Carla had forced Ryan and Ali apart, seating herself between them and effectively putting herself directly opposite Michelle, who had Maria on one side and Kate at the other. By some stroke of luck Jenny was situated at the far end of the table, right down next to Johnny who was already in deep conversation with Barry. A small smile tugged at Carla's lips as she watched Michelle's mother try to make polite small-talk with Jenny; the woman was already knocking back the white wine as though it was about to be outlawed.

"Don't you think we should order some food?" Helen attempted to catch the tables attention, though hadn't taken her eyes off the wine glass in that was rapidly emptying in Jenny's hand.

"Hang on, we've only just got here." Michelle rolled her eyes and picked up a menu, scanning down the contents with interest.

"Well we've all been here quite come time." She put in snippily, eyeing both her daughter and Carla in a way that reminded the latter of being back at school; the same patronising sarcasm the teachers had used when she'd waltzed in late due to propping up her own mother during the night and trying to drag Rob out of bed the following morning.

"Look, we had to wait for a taxi. It couldn't be helped." Michelle shrugged, without taking her eyes from the menu, refusing to let her mother create any tension in the otherwise relatively warm atmosphere.

"Well, _I_ managed to get here on time." She pressed, causing Michelle's to tighten on the faux leather cover, her fingertips sinking into the soft material.

"Yeah, well, we can't afford the down payment on a broomstick in this economy." Carla uttered under her breath, causing Ali to choke into his pint. She patted him on the back, half in warning for him not to draw attention to her comment; Ryan was already leaning across to try and figure out what she'd said and Michelle was eyeing the pair questioningly.

"Went down the wrong way," Ali covered, clearing his throat while he tried his best to fight the laughter that was bubbling in the back of his throat. As predicted, the young Doctor had found Helen's presence somewhat overbearing, he knew the woman meant well but he'd held his hand out in polite greeting and she'd pulled him into a hug, launching into a game of twenty questions and suggesting his brains came from her side of the family; apparently her her great-grandfather had almost become a doctor. So of course it was the path he was destined to take. He'd fought not to roll his eyes and glanced awkwardly at Ryan, but he'd been jostling with Barry at the time and if anything, seemed to delight in his discomfort. Now he had someone to share the burden of his high-handed grandmother.

It was a pleasant enough occasion, the food was good and conversation was flowing well despite the earlier complications, but it wasn't quite the engagement party that anyone had anticipated. Ryan seemed particularly mindful of this.

"Right come on, I thought this was supposed to be a celebration?" He piped up, waving over a waiter. "Right can we have," he paused, waving his fingertips around the table as he mentally counted everyone, "ten jäger-"

"Ryan, don't be ridiculous!" Michelle cut in, looking perplexed.

"He's got a point though," Johnny piped up, gesturing to the waiter who sauntered over to him. "How about a few bottles of champagne?" He nodded towards their server almost knowingly and he disappeared from sight. Eyeing Johnny suspiciously, Carla pushed away her own glass and sat back. Whether it was Michelle's concern or to show Helen, the older brunette had only had one glass of wine with her meal before turning to the water jugs on the table for her refills. Reaching across to her, Michelle took her hand, entwining their fingers to capture her attention.

"Are you okay?" She spoke quietly, brushing her thumb over the back of Carla's hand, her skin warm.

"Alright, break it up with the heart eyes. I'll fetch up my mains." Kate teased, "Do you remember our last family meal? You two disappeared off into the toilets together."

"It wasn't like that!" Michelle defended, amidst the cat calls from Maria and Jenny, who had turned their attention towards the couple.

"No but you were together then, weren't you? In secret." Ryan grinned, causing a ripple of laughter around the table, though neither of the two women missed how Helen's face fell.

"They arrived late to the Rovers then, too. Together!" Kate chuckled, filling Maria in; she'd arrived latest of all after Liam's tantrum.

They were saved from answering as an intense fizzing sound erupted from behind them. Turning in confusion, Carla found herself face to face with three waiters. Two were supporting a huge ice bucket, the three bottles of champagne firmly lodged between the solid cubes amongst around half a dozen sparklers, which hissed victoriously as the bucket was set in the middle of a table. The third was carrying a long rectangle platter dish, a two tiered naked cake perched on top, decorated with an array of berries, flowers and more sparklers had been pushed into the sponge. ' _Congratulations, Michelle and Carla!"_ Had been skilfully swirled across the rest of the plate in dessert sauce. Having been rendered speechless at the gesture, Carla hadn't even noticed that the lights had dimmed somewhat, giving the pyrotechnics a more vivid glow; the sound of applause coming from not only their table but a few of the surrounding ones who had peeked over at the commotion Johnny had clearly organised. He was on his feet, clapping his hands joyfully with the rest of their family. She jumped slightly when she felt Michelle arms slide around her waist, her chin resting on her shoulder; she'd made her way over to Carla with a huge grin across her face, her cheeks slightly flushed due to the amount of attention suddenly on the pair of them.

"I'm sorry, I know you don't like surprises but you didn't expect us to not make an occasion of it, did you?" Jenny laughed, clocking the look on Carla's face, the expression 'rabbit in headlights' seeming appropriate. Michelle nuzzled into the side of her neck, kissing her cheek reassuringly as Johnny popped one of the champagne corks, beginning to fill up everyone's glasses.

In the excitement of the celebration, Michelle had failed to realise that Helen's seat had been vacated. She could see through the polished glass doors of the restaurant, her mothers figure hunched by the steps that lead up to it.

"I'll be two minutes." She whispered, quickly tipping Carla's chin and delivering a swift kiss to her lips. "Save me a glass okay?"

"Where are you going?" She frowned, tugging on her wrist to stop her from moving away. At her subtle nod towards the door, Carla's face fell, doubt flickering in her eyes.

"Hey, don't worry, I'm going to sort this alright? Make sure Ryan doesn't order in anything daft."

It was freezing outside, the air bit at her skin as she stepped out into the autumn night, her breath misting in front of her face.

"She's got her feet well and truly under the table, hasn't she?" Helen sighed, before she could even open her mouth to speak. "Look, I am trying, Michelle."

"Mum, please. Just give her a break. I know she's made mistakes in the past but she's more than made up for them. We've been through so much together. And I...I really am in love with her." It felt more of a heavy admittance, saying it directly to her mother when it was just the two of them, no one to act as a buffer, no distractions so Helen couldn't pretend she hadn't heard. "I know it's not what you want to hear, but hear this too; she makes me so happy. It's more than happiness. It's the feeling when I'm with her that everything is going to be okay."

"All those times. All the sleepovers, she stayed in your bed, she-"

"No, we didn't- It wasn't like that back then. Or if it was we didn't know it ourselves." Michelle sighed, confused herself when she thought back to their childhood. There'd been points in her life where she couldn't stand Carla, or thought she couldn't.

"But your poor brother's-"

"They're gone, mum." Michelle swallowed against the lump the was beginning to form in her throat. "Just like Dean, Aidan, Ruairi..." she trailed off, wiping beneath her eyes. "Carla couldn't be expected to grieve for them forever, she couldn't be a widower forever. Mum, she deserves to be happy. We both do."

"And she really does make you happy?"

"You know after everything I've been through, it just felt like someone had punched this huge hole through my chest. It just got bigger and bigger every time someone or something hurt me. It was suffocating." She whispered, tears present on her cheeks. "But when Carla's here, it's like I can finally breathe again." Her voice cracked and she couldn't stop the small sob escaping her lips. Instantly she felt Helen's arms around her, pulling her in for a much needed embrace.

"Sweetheart, it's alright." She soothed, rubbing circles over her back. "I had no idea. You never told me or your father. You could have, anytime. Night or day."

"I know, I know," Michelle pulled back, dabbing at her cheeks with the handkerchief Helen had produced from her blazer pocket. "Mum, look at her," She cast her gaze into the restaurant, where Carla was sat between Ryan and Ali; they were chuckling together, attempting to take a photo with her mobile until she clocked on that both of Michelle's sons were using one finger to make a devil horn either side of her head, causing her to berate them good-naturedly. They watched a moment longer as Carla slid her phone across to Kate, freeing up both of her arms to slide around the the boys' heads, placing two fingers up at the back of them. Michelle already knew she was going to get hold of that picture and frame it. "Does she really look out of place?"

Helen shook her head, a smile tugging at the corners of her own lips as she surveyed the scene through the glass. "I suppose I just felt pushed out." She confessed quietly, twisting her hands in front of her. "We were the last to find out and Carla's been there through all these things with you, she knew you better than I did."

"That doesn't mean I don't still need you and dad here with me, that I don't miss you both."

Both women wiped beneath their eyes once more, meeting again for a firm hug.

"We should get back inside, we'll catch our deaths." Helen shivered, shuffling towards the door.

"You should be used to cold weather!" Michelle laughed, entering the restaurant once more. To her surprise, Helen headed straight over to Carla, who was still in deep conversation with Michelle's two sons, both of them stood back to back while she shook her head at Ryan.

"Get off your tiptoes! Ali's taller, end of." She grinned, giving Michelle's legal son a playful prod in the arm. The laughter slid from her face as Helen approached her and her eyes slid uncertainly across to Michelle, who flashed her a reassuring smile.

"Carla," Helen began, looking just as I sure as the other brunette. She was waiting on baited breath, almost jumping in shock when she clasped one of her hands between her own. "Thank you. For taking care of Michelle."

"I-...Always." Carla stuttered, completely thrown with the complete turn around in Helen's attitude.

"I'm glad she's got you."

"She'll always have me, I won't hurt her." She promised, her eyes glistening with the sincerity of her words. With a final nod, Helen squeezed her hand before letting her go, returning to her husband with a warm smile. A silent truce.

"Are you okay?" Michelle was instantly by her side almost as soon as Helen had left it, concerned at the gobsmacked expression across her fiancée's face.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I think." She accepted the hug that Michelle pulled her into, before tipping the younger woman's chin and meeting her for a firm kiss, lingering as long as she dared. Helen was just warming to her and she didn't want to push her luck. It seemed Johnny had been waiting for them all to rejoin the table, he was on his feet once more, clearing his throat and tapping a desert fork against his glass of champagne.

"Do we really need a speech?" Carla almost groaned, shocked when Michelle sat down in her seat and tapped her thighs, glancing up at the other woman expectantly. Casting a quick glance around the table, Carla cocked her brow. "Chelle, seriously?" She mumbled, though cautiously sat herself down in Michelle's lap, relaxing somewhat when the younger brunette slipped her arms around her waist and settling back against her chest.

Either he hadn't heard Carla or had decided to dismiss her comment, because Johnny cleared his throat once more, louder this time. "Look at the pair of them sat there, rings on their fingers, like two grenades." He smirked, a teasing, pleased grin spreading across his face at what he thought was clear wit. Carla shook her head, though the quietest breath of laughter sounded from her lips, along with twitters from the rest of the table. "Which, admittedly," he continued with a sigh, looking apologetic, "Is exactly what I reacted like it was when I first found out. But I was so wrong."

"Did you just admit fault?" Kate sassed, smirking up at her dad with the same mischievous glint that was often apparent in Carla's own eyes.

"He did! I heard him! Why isn't anyone recording this? A day we'll never forget." Jenny's voice was slurred, over-excited, but then by this point most faces around the table were looking extremely merry.

"Anyway," Johnny brought their attention back to himself once more, where he reached down and picked up his champagne glass. "What I'm trying to say is how happy I am for the both of you. Watching that kind of love grow between you has instilled hope and happiness back into this family when we needed it the most." There was a sniffling sound from below his elbow; Jenny was using a napkin to dab beneath her eyes. Carla felt Michelle's arms tighten around her, her fingertips dancing affectionately over her hip. "But before I finish off and make a toast. Ryan-" he broke off, nodding towards the younger man who grinned and stood up, clearing his throat dramatically.

"Oh God. What're you doing, Ry?" Michelle groaned, eyeing him apprehensively, though it seemed he wasn't quite as inebriated as he'd lead them to believe, because there was almost a flicker of nerves in his eyes as he glanced around the table.

"It felt right to say something because I was the first to work out that these two were head over heels, even before they'd properly figured it out themselves. I just think they like the drama." He laughed, turning to grin at the two women. Michelle was still eyeing him wearily, unable to fully relax and welcoming the warming gesture of Carla's fingers entwining with her own. "And I wanted to say thank you to you both. For letting me gate crash your little love nest. I'm really grateful; in fact we both are," he paused and nodded towards Ali, who smiled in agreement. "Even though we've seen things that I'm relying on this one to fast track me into therapy for." Jabbing his thumb towards the Doctor once more, they both exchanged a mocking grimace with one another.

"Er, alright keep this PG, there's elders around the table!" Kate called out, highly entertained by his speech, her amusement amplified by the empty glasses that had built up around her.

"I was actually on about the heart shaped breakfasts and soppy notes on the fridge, all that sickening stuff, I don't know where your minds were heading." Ryan smirked, dodging his mother who had reached out to playfully tap his shoulder. He grew serious once more, which was almost ominous. "But I wanted to add on more about what Johnny said, about hope in the family. I've loved being here with everyone again, it's why I decided to stay. As many of us as there are here, I think we've all felt the presence of empty seats." He swallowed, as though worried he was bringing the atmosphere down, but swallowed determinedly. "I think they're celebrating with us, though. Because as much as there are absent faces, there's never been an absence of love. We pull together. It's easy to focus on the loss but tonight we can celebrate everything we've gained." Ryan nodded over to where Jenny was crying into a napkin. "A great-aunt? Is that roughly right?" He teased, watching as Johnny slid a supportive arm around his emotional wife. "A not so new step-mother, who isn't as wicked as she makes out." His attention was focused on Carla now who, although hadn't been affected quite as much as Jenny by his words, still had tears glistening in her eyes. She swallowed hard against the lump forming in her throat and narrowed her eyes lightheartedly, her lips stretching into a warm smile which she aimed at her nephew. "And, lastly, a brother. As annoying as they come, of course, and just as bossy as mum is, but you're not too bad, all things considered." He clapped his hand on Ali's shoulder, who in return pushed him playfully.

Although he was reserved, Carla could tell he was pleased. The joyous glint in his eye was uncanny to that of his mothers and for a moment it was terrifying, as though she could have been looking directly at Michelle. With a sudden jolt she realised that she hadn't yet turned to the woman whose lap she was nestled in an was startled when, on hearing a quiet sniff, she turned to see the younger brunette in almost a similar state to Jenny. There were tears steaming down her face.

"Oh God, come here you," Carla murmured, adjusting her position so she could wrap her arms around the other woman's shoulders, one hand weaving into her hair as she dipped down and began pressing kisses against her damp cheek. "I love you," she whispered softly, allowing Michelle to drop her head against her chest and Carla continued to run gentle fingertips over her hair, both of them waiting for Ryan to finish speaking.

"Well, I didn't mean to make you all cry."

There were few dry eyes, although Maria was managing to hold up pretty well. She had a comforting arm around Kate and gave Ryan an encouraging smile. He was glancing somewhat wearily around the room; clearly it was the cue for Johnny to take over once more but with him being busy trying to prise a glass from his wife's hand and press his own handkerchief into it, it seemed he was going to have to wrap up the speech alone.

"Oh, you lovely boy!" Surprisingly, it was Helen's outburst that filled the room next. She jumped up from her seat and dashed across to her grandson, pinching his cheeks affectionately before wrapping him up in a crushing hug.

"Gran, I've got a speech to finish!" He laughed, returning her embrace and giving her a moment to return to her seat before picking up a glass from the table. "Right, not that I should be encouraging you lot to drink anymore judging from the emotional wrecks around this table, I still think we need to raise a glass. First, to those toasting with us in the sky; to dad, Uncle Paul, Uncle Liam, Aidan and our little Ruairi, all of them proud and happy that the people they love the most want to make vows to love and protect one another the way they'd have wanted. And of course, to the lovestruck two themselves; my mum and Carla, everyone!"

There was a joyous cry of ' _Michelle and Carla!'_ followed by raucous applause. Having gently eased Carla from her lap, Michelle herself had pulled Ryan in for a hug that rivalled Helen's. She was openly sobbing, scattering kisses across his face while he tried simultaneously to fend her off and comfort her.

"That was fantastic, well done Ry!" Johnny had come over to clap him on the back, having successfully wrestled him from Michelle's grip after hugging Carla. It certainly felt like a celebration, not quite the joining of two families, but solidifying the one that had formed.

"'Chelle, are you o-" After Kate had let her go, Carla had been making her way over to Michelle once more, wanting to check the other woman was okay. She was cut off when the younger brunette engulfed her completely; arms clamping around her waist, lips covering her own in a way that was desperate yet gentle all at once. She responded in kind, cupping Michelle's cheeks to keep her in place, thumbs brushing over her skin to rid her face of any remaining tears. It was a struggle to keep up the composure that everyone else seemed to have given up trying to. She felt so overwhelmed; unfathomably happy, in love, with a family right there who had gathered purely in support and celebration of exactly that. Almost too much. She focused on Michelle, the warmth of her skin against her palms, the comfortable pressure of her body pressed against hers, the way she latched onto their kiss as though it had replaced the gravity that held her down on earth. Her heart felt light. It wasn't too much, it was perfect.

They broke apart but didn't go far, gently bumping their foreheads together.

"Carla, I love you."

"I love you too, 'Chelle."

It seemed no one wanted to call it a night, despite the noise of the restaurant dropping dramatically as the clock ticked closer towards closing time. There were bleary eyes around the table and surprised yawns, a heady mix of good food, a lot of emotion and even more alcohol. The only argument came when Johnny insisted he paid the bill at the end. Barry has protested greatly and everyone had insisted they wanted to chip in too. I'm the end, both Johnny and Barry had silenced everyone by coming to an agreement to split it between the pair of them, with dire warnings that there wasn't to be any more protests.

"Taxi's are due in five."

Ali and Ryan were in some kind of debate; the latter not being quite ready to call it a night. He was trying to tempt the Doctor to head into town with him, pointing out that he knew one of the DJ's and could probably get them a few freebies out of it.

"Oh alright, I'll have a couple of hours but that's it."

Ryan grinned victoriously and was about to leave the restaurant when the other man nudged him with his elbow.

"What?"

Kate had been watching their conversation with interest, her eyes flickering back and forth, a pout forming across her face.

"Oh, come on, you can come as well!" Ryan laughed, which perked the young girl up instantly.

"Er, and just you all be careful!" Michelle called after them, shaking her head as she watched them disappear into the first taxi that pulled up. "Ryan have you got your-"

"Yes I've got my keys!"

"Stop fussing, babe." Carla had crept up behind her, resting her chin against her shoulder, huddling up to her in the crisp night.

They let Johnny, Jenny, Helen and Barry take the second taxi, leaving them stood with Maria.

"It's been a lovely night hasn't it?" She smiled brightly, slightly unsteady on her feet. "I'm tired, though, I was working right up until the last minute!"

"I hope _you're_ not too tired," Carla murmured quietly into Michelle's ear, somehow managing to trap the lobe between her lips as she spoke.

"Right, I'm getting in the front." Maria grimaced, eyeing them in mock disapproval over her shoulder as she stalked towards the final taxi that had rolled up. "That meal was too nice to throw up."

 **IXIXIXI**

"The club launch tonight is going to be epi-"

"Keep it down, Ry," Michelle scurried to the doorway when her son entered the apartment, nodding towards the sofa where Ali had dropped off in front of the television. His head was lolling against one of the cushions, hand limp by his side as he continued to snooze, the remote a few inches away from his slackened grip, much to the other man's clear distaste.

"He's supposed to be coming out with us." Ryan grumbled, shooting him a filthy look before his lip curled into a mischievous grin.

"Yeah well let him have a power nap." Michelle had her back to the both of them, placing the mug she had just finished washing onto the drainer, unable to see Ryan edging closer to where the Doctor was sleeping. If she had seen, she'd have definitely intervened before he had the chance to do exactly what he was about to.

" _OI_!" Ryan suddenly bellowed at the top of his lungs, causing Ali to jolt awake with a shriek, his arms flailing to keep himself balanced when he almost toppled off the sofa in shock.

"Ryan!" Michelle scolded, a teaspoon falling against the marble surface with a clatter as she jumped in fright, whipping around and looking furious.

Ali had just about recovered from his abrupt and uncalled for awakening, brushing a hand over his face. His previously bleary stare had been blinked rapidly into a conscious state and once his heart had returned to a relatively normal pace he glared up Ryan.

"You flamin' dipstick!"

Whether it was his reaction to the forced disturbance or the insult he used, Ryan dropped onto the sofa beside the other man positively howling with laughter, reaching out for the remote which Ali swiped from his outstretched hand.

"I'm watching something." He insisted, holding the controller from Ryan's reach, who had stretched across to try and snatch it back.

"You were asleep!"

"Yes and now I'm awake. Your fault."

"Just give me the remote."

"No."

There was a scuffle as they began to wrestle for it, Ryan letting out a muffled groan when he took a particularly sharp elbow to the ribs. Rolling her eyes, Michelle bustled over to them, her hands still dripping with soap suds from washing up. She shook them over the jostling pair showering them in foamy water droplets.

"Hey!" Ryan protested, jumping back immediately, while Ali ran his hand across his forehead, ridding his skin from the bubbles.

"Well that's how you stop dogs fighting, isn't it?" She sassed, picking up her leather jacket from the back of the chair. "Honestly, it's like you're six, not twenty-six."

"Where are you going?" Ryan abandoned his mission to obtain the remote once more when he noticed his mother grab her bag.

"I'm meeting a client in the Rovers and then I'm going to drag Carla out of the Factory and take her for dinner." Michelle replied, checking the time on her phone. There was a message from Carla, wishing her luck with her meeting and she couldn't help but smile at her thoughtfulness. When she'd learnt that Michelle had an early evening appointment, she'd decided to stay on late at Underworld to get ahead on paperwork.

"Ever the romantic. Oh, actually. If you're both going to be out is it okay if a few of the others come over here for a drink before we go?"

"Others?"

"Just Sophie, Bethany and Cormack." He shrugged, flopping back against the cushions and turning his nose up at what was currently playing across the screen. "He's the one who managed to get us the invites."

"Yeah, as long as you don't make a mess." Michelle warned him, leaning over the back of the sofa to drop a kiss on top of his head. "I mean it." She shuffled across to Ali, repeating her previous actions. "I'll see you both later."

 **IXIXIXI**

Carla sat back in her seat, reaching above her head as she stretched, back arching and cracking; a result of having been sat hunched over the paperwork for a solid three and a half hours. She'd let the staff go early, it had been four-thirty when she gave them their marching orders and not a single one had questioned her generosity, eager to start their weekend. Rolling her shoulders, she let out a wince at the crunching noise, a hint of a smirk playing on her features as she wondered idly about persuading Michelle to massage a few of the kinks out. Speaking of, she was sure her fiancée should have been in contact by now. The meeting she'd arranged with her client had been at six and when she glanced at the computer screen and saw it was nearing eight, she wondered if she'd fallen back into her earlier habit of not being able to let a customer know when it was time to call it a day.

She reached across her desk and grabbed her mobile, startled to find six missed calls and a message from Michelle. How could she have forgotten to take it off silent?

"You could have come across to get me, 'Chelle," Carla muttered to herself, assuming the other woman must have found herself someone so sit and have a few with.

' _Accident at the flat I need you home now.'_

Carla's heart missed a beat, sudden splinters of dread prickling across her shoulders as she gathered up her bag and fled the office. She was drumming up all kinds of terrified scenarios, chest thumping in time with each heavy step against the cobbled stones.

 _Calm down, calm down, it might be something of nothing. A burst pipe or-_

Her train of thought was interrupted and she let out an audible whimper on seeing the ambulance parked outside Victoria Court. Carla didn't even attempt to wait for the lift, instead thundering up the flights on stairs, ignoring the stitch that was just beginning to spike under her ribs.

Plunging her hand into her bag, she was frantically feeling for her keys when she rounded the corner of their floor, racing down the corridor only to find she didn't even need her key; the flat door was wide open.

"Mich-" Carla was cut off, having almost bumped into the two paramedics leaving the apartment. Peering around the doorframe fearfully, she took a shaking step into their home, trying to make sense of the scene in front of her.

The first thing she felt was utter relief to see Michelle sat at the table with Ryan, Ali hunched over the kitchen sink. No one was hurt. Michelle was alright. It was only when her gaze fell to the floor that panic swelled in her throat, mouth falling open.

"Who-? Is he-?" She turned to the pair sat at the table, Ryan was in tears and Michelle was trying to console him.

"Yeah, he's dead." It was Ali who answered, causing her to turn and face him. His eyes were hard, full of anger. "But he might not have been if it hadn't been for _him!"_

Carla jumped back in shock, Ali's voice had climbed to a furious shout, the Doctor was seething, advancing towards Ryan in fury.

"What the hell is going on?"

"I was doing it for him," Ryan murmured tearfully, resting his forehead against Michelle's shoulder, a heavy sob sounding from his throat.

" _Does he look grateful?"_ Ali continued to rage, holding his arm out towards the blonde haired laid out across the floor.

"Ali-" Michelle looked up, eyes pleading, as though she was going to attempt to reason with him, but it seemed he was beyond that when he cut across her, looking angrier if it were possible.

"No, don't! You can sit there and mollycoddle that complete waste of space all you want but don't-"

" _Ey!"_ It was Carla who interrupted this time, stepping in front of Ali defiantly, catching his thunderous gaze. "Calm yourself down!" She snapped, warningly, seizing her chance to find out exactly what had happened. "Now I want one of you to tell me what the flamin' 'ell's going on!" She clicked her fingers at the doctor and pointed towards one of the empty seats, directing him over to it. He looked like he wanted to argue, but obeyed her instructions regardless, slumping down into the chair and dropping his head into his hands.

"Michelle?" Carla reached out and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, she still looked in a state of shock. They all did.

"He was my friend." Ryan spoke again, his voice hoarse. "He...he was just on the floor. Fitting. He overdosed."

"On what?"

"On drugs."

" _Drugs?"_ Carla hissed, her eyes darting to where the flat door was wide open. She let go of Michelle's shoulder to go and close it.

"Yeah and this _loser_ delayed phoning an ambulance!" Ali fired up once more, slamming his hand down on the table.

Carla shut the door with a sharp click, whipping around to him again.

"Will you calm down? There are police officers outside!"

They all looked unnerved at this information, she could see the panic on Ryan's face, his eyes red and glassy. Michelle was biting down on her lip so hard that Carla feared she'd break the skin. She moved behind her, resting both of her hands against her shoulders once more, giving them a reassuring squeeze.

"Ryan, why didn't you call the ambulance?"

"He'd only just got out of prison, I didn't want to send him straight back inside again."

Carla nodded in understanding; granted he'd been daft but she could see his reasoning. She turned towards Ali, who was looking at Ryan with an intense hatred, a complete contrast to the relationship they'd developed over the previous couple of months. It looked like any progress was rapidly unravelling.

"Alright, alright," Carla sighed, mainly to herself, her brain working rapidly. "Ali, where were you?"

"Progress meeting with my supervisor. I was on my way back when this idiot rang me. He told me someone had overdosed and I told him to hang up and call an ambulance."

"Okay...Okay, well you panicked. That's not a crime. Surely we can just say..." Carla trailed off, noticing the look on both Ryan and Michelle's face. "What?"

Michelle swallowed, dropping her head into her hands for a moment and Carla slid into the seat beside her, resting her hands over her fiancées trembling ones. "Michelle, if there's something I need to know-"

"His dad's a maniac." She whispered, letting out a shaking breath. "Adam Barlow told me in the Rovers; he'd seen Cormack with Ryan and warned me about who I was letting into our flat. His dad has done all this horrible stuff," Her voice cracked and her head fell into her hands again, she was truly terrified and the worry was beginning to sleep into Carla's skin. She tried not to let it show for the sake of her fiancée and her grief-stricken nephew, who looked as though he was about to throw up. Michelle's voice was muffled behind her hands, but she just about caught most of the conversation she relayed between herself and Adam; from the sound of it whoever Cormack's dad was, the man was pretty untouchable.

"Ronan Truman kills people that get on the wrong side of him." Ryan gulped, staring hard at the table, his jaw set as though he was resigning himself to his fate.

" _What?"_ Ali shook his head in disbelief, jumping up from the table. "Then we need to tell the police! They'll protect us!"

"No." Michelle had sat up, brushing her hands across her face. She suddenly looked determined, getting to her feet and beginning to pace the area. "They won't. They didn't protect us from Robert or those idiots that were terrorising Simon, did they?" Pushing her hair back from her face, she cupped her hands over her mouth, closing her eyes when she spoke again. "Ryan, you'll tell the police that he was dead when you found him."

"Oh my god, are you insane? You're actually insane!"

"Ali, shut up!" Michelle suddenly snapped, which rendered him silent instantly. None of them had heard her speak to him like that before. In all the time he'd been in her life, Carla was sure she hadn't heard her once raise her voice to him. It seemed to reinforce the seriousness of the situation. The stunned silence buzzed around the flat uncomfortably, Michelle's eyes were full of tears. It looked as though she was already regretting shouting at him. She weaved around the chairs to where he was stood, reaching out hesitantly, as though approaching an animal that was easily startled.

"Please," She whispered, taking his face between her hands, brushing her thumb across his cheek. "If you care about this family, please, Ali."

The Doctor still looked angry, still looked as though there was nothing more he wanted to do than race out of the apartment and confess all. He met Michelle's saddened hues, struggled with himself for a moment, before letting out a defeated sigh, his shoulders sagging. "Alright. Fine."

 **IXIXIXI**

The apartment had never felt so tense. Carla was sure the atmosphere was about to crush all of them. The drinks she'd made for the four of them lay untouched, stone cold on the coffee table. It had been painstaking watching Michelle to try and get her sons to agree on their story, she'd felt less than useful herself, being able to offer nothing more than a comforting arm around Michelle's shoulders when the Police Officer had taken both men off separately into the spare room to conduct their questioning.

It suddenly didn't feel like they were the brothers they'd claimed to be only a few nights previous. Ali had dumped a pillow unceremoniously onto the sofa and they'd all taken it as their cue to head straight to bed; no one had known what to say to one another anyway. Michelle was laid with her back to Carla, shoulders by her neck, completely rigid. She'd been stroking her hand over her hair for a while, but it didn't seem to have done much to relax her and if the younger brunette was attempting to fool Carla into thinking she'd dropped off, she was doing a very poor job of it.

Rolling her body closer to Michelle's, she slipped an arm around her waist and pushed herself up slightly, pressing soft kisses against her bare shoulder, her skin cool against her lips. Carla continued her trail of affection, moving further across to kiss the side of her head, her cheek, until Michelle slowly turned around to face her, brow furrowed with sadness.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, which confused Carla and it must have shown across her expression because Michelle added with a heavy sigh. "For getting you involved in all of this. You don't have to be."

The older brunette raised her eyebrow in bewilderment, before becoming serious and catching Michelle's chin in her hand. "Michelle, this is my family." At her words, she saw her fiancées eyes fill with tears.

"It doesn't feel like we're much of one after today."

"Oh, darling come here," Carla whispered, opening her arms to allow the younger woman to fall into her chest. "They're just in shock, we all are. Emotions run high. Ryan was grieving and panicking, Ali was only so angry because he couldn't save him. It's been a horrible day, but it's over now and things will work themselves out."

Michelle glanced up at her, trying to work out whether Carla believed it herself or was just trying to calm her down.

"You sound so certain."

"That's because I am," She affirmed, beginning to run her hand through silky tresses once more, the highlighted strands falling through her fingertips. She suited the lighter hair, longer hair. Carla had always thought the dark hair was what had equated to its intense shine but it had never dulled. "What happened tonight was tragic and Ali might be a Doctor but he's not psychic. I don't think he could have truly known what might have happened even if Cormack had made it to hospital. He could have died on the operating table. Those drugs he took were contaminated and going from the state Ryan said he found him in, the damage was pretty much done. No one will look into this any further."

Michelle didn't looked fully convinced, though she managed a weak smile, one that Carla didn't believe. The younger woman still felt tense in her arms, she moved in once more, nudging her nose against her cheek, lips grazing along her jaw where she began to trail kisses, intending to lead a path to her mouth until Michelle tilted her head back, exposing her neck and resting an encouraging hand on the back of her head. Carla complied, somewhat hesitantly at first, until she felt her melt into the touch, hand tightening in her hair as she continued to scatter kisses against the sensitive areas of her skin. While quiet, Michelle's breathing is started to become shallow, her eyes fluttering shut and Carla parted her mouth, lightly sucking against her skin at which point she let out a much more audible gasp.

"Chelle," Carla murmured, pulling back slightly and observing the way her face had fallen in disappointment. "We'll have to be quiet. I don't think anyone else is going to be sleeping much tonight, do you?" She reasoned, though she wasn't exactly expecting Michelle to be in the mood for acrobatics and merely suspected the younger woman wanted the comfort and distraction. Nodding her agreement, Michelle pushed herself up and hooked her leg over Carla's waist and moved herself on top of her, pushing chestnut locks away from her face, stroking gentle fingertips down her cheek.

"Are you okay?" Carla checked, looking up at the younger woman with concern, one of her hands finding Michelle's other where she laced their fingers together. "Don't push yourself-"

But Michelle shook her head, her finger pressing lightly against the other brunette's lips to silence her, before she dipped down and instead replaced it with her own in a kiss that instantly grew passionate.

 **A/n: Thank you to everyone still reading and reviewing! I'm sorry for the delayed updates recently. I thought I'd include the recent storyline with Ronan, but I'm going to focus more on Carla's perspective of it because I don't want to repeat what we all watched the other week and I don't think I'd be able to make it quite as dramatic. Hats off to Kym, Ryan and James, they were amazing!**

 **Also, how cute was the Kana proposal? Imagine them both deciding to pull engagement rings out in the Rovers at the same time- which creative genius came up with that? ;) Weird coincidence!**

 **Thank you once again! I appreciate you all sticking by this story!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Tw: descriptions of violence.**

"Are you sure you're alright?" Carla asked, peering at Michelle over the rim of her mug. She'd been talking to her about bouquets for their Bridesmaids (Kate and Maria) for the last five minutes, but it was clear the younger woman hadn't taken a word of it in.

"Hm?" Michelle was shaken out of her daze for a second, glancing up to meet the other woman's puzzled gaze, before clearing her throat apologetically. "Yeah, sorry. I'm just tired, I didn't sleep well." She murmured her excuse, a good one, because Carla had felt Michelle tossing and turning beside her all night. Even after their fleeting moment of passion, she still hadn't settled, but that wasn't the reason for her wandering mind.

 _She'd never sensed danger as strongly as this. Watching Ronan step into their flat, she instantly felt unnerved. But Ryan and Ali were there and she couldn't go to pieces. So she'd plastered on a fake smile and welcomed him into their home, snatched her ring from her finger on her way to make him a drink and glanced furiously around the flat. It was okay, there were no photos. Not any that would suggest that herself and Carla shared anything other than friendship. Because she'd be damned if she was going to drag her into whatever this was turning into. He'd come to ask about Cormack, of course he had. But after reiterating their story, he'd come over faint and had requested to sit down. That's when she'd offered to make him a drink. As the kettle boiled and Michelle heard her son begin to explain how they'd done everything they could to help, he seemed satisfied that Ali had tried his best to save his son._

" _You live here alone?" He'd asked her, eyeing her up and down when she'd passed him the mug, sitting down cautiously next to Ryan and trying to to look worried. She forced an airy grin, giving a casual shrug of her shoulder._

" _Just me and the lads," her voice didn't even waver, even though her heart was thumping erratically in her chest._

" _No husband?" He'd questioned, though quickly added, "sorry, sorry, that's not my business."_

 _Michelle was glad she'd taken off her ring._

" _No, it's okay! You're bound to be...Curious, about us." She nodded, ignoring Ali's glare, which she could feel burning her face. He'd object heavily to more lies. "It's just me, but I really don't mind."_

" _Well it must be hard at times, on your own with two sons. If you need anything, anything at all-"_

" _Honestly, that really isn't necessary-" she began, growing uneasier by the second. His eyes were cold and emotionless, there was something about his tone that made her feel threatened._

" _No, I mean it. You call me and I'll be there. You're all very important to me now. I'll always know where to find you."_

 _Michelle swallowed, the slam of the door as he vacated echoing around the flat. I'll always know where to find you. What the hell did that mean?_

" _He just threatened us!" Ali stood up from his seat and began to pace the room. "Tell me that was as weird to you two as it was to me?"_

" _We better tell Carla-"_

" _No!" Michelle jumped in over Ryan, both of her sons turned to her, confused. "She can't be involved in this."_

" _But she needs to know, he's dangerous!" Ryan objected, looking at Michelle as though he didn't quite believe she was refusing._

" _And that's why I didn't tell him anything about her. The less she knows, the safer she is."_

"Michelle! Go and have a lie down if you're that tired." Carla's voice jolted her back once again and she jumped, rubbing a weary hand down her face.

"No, I won't be able to sleep." She sighed, getting up from the sofa to make her way around the the kitchen. Leaning down to the bottom cupboard, she pulled out a bottle of wine and began the unscrew the lid; it was a poor decision but she was hoping a glass or two would ease the knot of tension in her stomach.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Carla asked, slowly closing the lid of her laptop and placing it on the coffee table. With Michelle's head elsewhere, it was clear that Kate and Maria's flowers were going to have to be a topic for another time. Although, they were rapidly running out of 'other times' as the end of November drew nearer. Flowers and dresses remained the only two things left on their list to sort, but they were two pretty major things and they had mere weeks to do so.

Michelle shook her head, filling the glass over half way and raising it to her lips. No sooner had she taken a sip, the door flew open and Ryan burst in, panting, looking terrified.

"What's happened?" Carla asked, jumping from her seat at the look of terror on Ryan's face. He didn't answer, he had one hand on the back of the sofa, the other clutching a stitch in his side. Allowing himself seconds to catch his breath, he didn't waste it explaining to the two women exactly what had caused him to almost take the door from its hinges and instead dashed into his room, grabbing a huge overnight bag which still had clothes that he'd yet to unpack even after deciding not to return to Ibiza.

"Ryan, what the hell is going on?"

"Sophie. Retracted her statement backing me up about what time I came back here after talking to her." He panted, grabbing one of his hoodies from the radiator and stuffing it into the bag. "I've got to-"

He was cut off when the buzzer sounded, flying around to face Michelle who realised, with horror, that Carla was about to lift up the receiver to see who it was.

"Don't!" She suddenly shouted, and the older woman looked at her completely bewildered, before picking up the phone. Michelle held her breath, but her relief was far too short lived when Carla announced that it was the Police who wanted to come up.

"Look, Ry, just tell them you panicked. Okay? You didn't make him take those drugs." Carla reassured him, moving over to her fear-struck nephew and resting her hand on his shoulder. "Honestly, it'll be fine." He looked at her imploringly, as though he wanted to tell her something. He'd just opened his mouth to speak when they were interrupted by two officers.

"Mr Connor? We'd like you to accompany us to the station for further questioning, if you don't mind."

"Well, now's not the best time, actually." He began, moving to stand in front of his packed bag as though to block it from view. "But I can nip down later, I'm not under arrest am I?" He reached out to grab his jacket that had been slung carelessly over the back of the sofa. It was almost slow motion, his eyes widening as the clear bag fell from his pocket and landed silently onto the carpet, right at the first officer's feet. He placed a heavy booted foot over the packet and reached down to take it before Ryan could swipe it back, a look of dread forming across his features.

The officer turned to his colleague, who nodded sternly as she took the bag from him.

"It seems you are under arrest, now." The policeman affirmed, reaching into the pocket of his neon vest and pulling out a pair of handcuffs.

"They're not mine!" Ryan tried to protest, though even he knew the excuse was futile, the most obvious he could have chosen. But it was the truth. "Mum, I swear, they're not." He caught Michelle's teary eyes, both of them thinking along the same lines, that they could have possibly been planted.

"Ryan Connor, I'm arresting you on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance-"

"Please don't do this, he's just said they're not his!" Michelle interrupted; knew her own input would be completely useless, but that's exactly how she felt, panic rising in her chest as she watched the officer cuff her son.

"-you do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court."

"Wait!" Michelle tried to follow them out, but was stopped by Carla's hand on her shoulder. "Carla, I need to do something." She attempted to shrug her off, but the other woman span her around, her expression firm but gentle.

"Michelle, it's a drugs charge, there isn't anything-"

"But you heard him, they're not his. I believe him, I know him."

Carla looked unsure, pulling at her lower lip anxiously. She wanted to believe it too, but he didn't have the best track record.

"Carla, I saw his face when they fell out of his pocket. He had no idea." Michelle was looking at her so certainly, her eyes begging her to realise what she'd seen. Carla met her gaze, watching as they misted over, her lower lip trembling. It was unfair to judge her nephew from what had happened in his past, it felt wrong in her gut to do so. Wrong and hypocritical. Finally, she gave a slow nod, bringing her hands up to cup the younger woman's cheeks and pressing a kiss against the top of her head.

"Okay," she whispered, brushing her thumbs over damp skin; Michelle had succumbed to tears. This was her family, of course she believed Ryan. Of course she was going to support them. "I believe you, I believe him. It's okay, it's going to be fine." She promised, taking Michelle into her arms and pulling her into a comforting hug.

"I don't know what to do." Michelle whispered, feeling terrible for admitting it. Part of her wished she didn't have to do anything other than lock herself in her room and cry. Cry, sleep and then wake up with everything magically back to normal. What was normal?

"Well I think the first thing we need to do is talk to Adam or Imran." Carla suggested, running her hand over the other woman's hair, tucking a strand behind her ear. "Do you want me to give them a ring?"

"It's okay, I'll do it." Michelle stepped back, wiping beneath her eyes and taking a slow, steadying breath. She couldn't afford to go to pieces. Happy that Carla was able to think logically, she plucked her bag from the table and slung it over her shoulder. "I think I'll go and see them in person, they're right next to us. Are you going to the Factory?"

Taken aback at her abrupt change in mood, having gone from on the verge of a breakdown to being ready to tackle the tricky situation Ryan had found himself in, Carla shook her head.

"I should be but I can sack that off and come with you."

"No, don't fall behind on work because of me." Michelle started, biting her lip at the pang on guilt in her stomach. If there was even a chance that Ronan's visit to the flat could be brought up, she didn't want Carla around to hear it. "I'll phone you to let you know how it goes."

"As long as you're sure?" Carla didn't look particularly comfortable rushing back off to the factory, even though it was crucial that she didn't fall behind. Not with a wedding and Christmas coming up, bonuses to calculate and she was definitely taking them off on a honeymoon, she'd need to factor that into the equation and hopefully rope Peter into being able to take over for a couple of weeks, which meant he'd need a run through on everything they had coming up. It was a never ending list, but after the last year, Carla had vowed she would always put her family first. "If you need me there or need anything else, you'll call me straight away, won't you?"

"Yeah, I promise." Michelle nodded, picking up her keys from the counter.

"Well I can walk out with you, anyway." Gathering up her own bag, she followed the other woman out of the flat, slipping her hand into Michelle's once she'd locked up. Her fiancée kept a firm grip on it as they stepped into the chilling air and Carla watched her intently while they walked. Tired was an understatement, Michelle looked completely worn out, her concern grew by the second. It was heading towards late afternoon, only a couple of hours left of the working day. It didn't seem likely that they'd get everything sorted before the day was out and Carla doubted that Michelle would sleep again that night until she knew exactly what was going to happen with her son.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" Carla checked once they'd come to a halt outside the pristine white door.

"I'm sure, I'll be okay. Just try not to be late home?"

"I won't stay late, I'll be home usual time." Carla assured her, offering her a smile which Michelle just about managed to return. "Hey," She reached out, stopping the younger woman before she could reach out and grasp the handle. Carla pulled her back gently, tucking two fingers beneath her chin to tilt her face. "I love you." She pressed her lips to the other woman's, kissing her softly before wrapping her in a close embrace. Michelle couldn't help melting into the familiar scent of her, allowing herself to soak up the comfort.

"It's going to be okay, I promise it'll all work out."

 **IXIXIXI**

Carla was staring blankly at the screen in front of her, the figures just wouldn't go in. The screen burned her eyes and the words blurred before her as she tried to focus on what she was typing and ignore the sting of tiredness.

As predicted, neither of them had slept again the previous night. Michelle had told her Imran was going to do his best for Ryan and they were both awaiting news. Abandoning the report she was working on, she picked up herself phone, sighing when her inbox remained empty. She hadn't wanted to come in at all but an early morning meeting had forced her hand. Even though she'd made it through, it seemed to have taken all of her energy and she was contemplating the idea that even Kirk would be a more suitable and capable candidate to finish her work at this point.

She pointlessly checked her phone again and sighed. Perhaps she was being paranoid, but she couldn't help but think Michelle was being deliberately distant with her. She'd expected her to cry, get angry even, but she hadn't done much of anything other than remain silent, as though lost in thought. Even when Carla had kissed her goodbye before getting into her car, she seemed to have been despondent, glancing around before she'd met her in the middle to touch her lips very briefly against hers. It was unnerving her, no end.

The office door swung open and she flipped around expectantly, her face falling at the sight of Peter's face in the doorway.

"You did say half eleven?" He frowned, checking his watch and comparing it to the office one on the wall, checking he hadn't mistaking the time.

"Yeah, I know," Carla lied, having forgotten completely that she'd arranged to meet up with her investor. She'd been hoping Michelle would call around with good news, she'd asked her to phone as soon as she knew when Ryan was being released. If he was being released. "I haven't had chance to finish the report." She sighed, minimising the work on her screen and switching the monitor off. "But I can talk you through things."

"That's not what we agreed, I like to be able to see what's going on." He started, causing Carla to bring her fingertips to her temples, already feeling the beginnings of a tension headache.

"Well look out the flamin' window, then." Her tone was snappy and it was clear from the look on his face it wasn't appreciated in the slightest. Making his way around the desk, he sat himself in the spare seat and crossed his arms, eyeing her in disapproval.

"You look like you're in a right state." Peter commented, glancing around the disorganised office before adding in unnecessarily, "In fact, this whole place is in a right state. I put money into this business for Simon's future, not so you could mess about-"

"Oi! Watch your tone. I haven't done the report, alright? I've had a lot going on, Michelle-"

"Recovered from what happened weeks ago! I'm not supposed to work here at all but I've been opening up, picking up your slack. Have you even got yourself a PA, yet? If you can't cope-"

"I _can_ cope." Carla seethed, jabbing her finger in his direction, infuriated that he was insinuating otherwise. He should try running a business on roughly seven hours sleep in a full forty-eight.

"Seems like it," he bit back sarcastically, switching on the computer in front of him. "I think if you're struggling then I should come and work here full time."

Carla spluttered, shooting up from her seat in protest, hardly able to believe his cheek. He'd already forced himself into her business and now he was deciding to retract from his promise of sleeping partner.

"Look, things are a bit dodgy at the minute because I've got a lot going on, Peter. Things will be back to normal in a few days-"

"Not a risk I'm prepared to take, sorry." He shrugged, looking anything but. "Now if you can just get me up to date-"

The rest of his sentence was drowned out by Carla's incredulous scoff. Lack of sleep and the stress of the last two day's had already cut her fuse twice as short as usual and Peter's scatty remarks had lit it. She was close to exploding. Snatching her bag from the desk, she threw it over her shoulder and turned her back to him.

"No chance, figure it out for yourself. I'm sure you'll _cope."_

Ignoring his shouts for her to come back, she left the office and stalked past the work force, calling to them over her shoulder.

"Peter's in charge, don't make it too easy for him ey?"

She considered for a split second heading across the the Rovers, her mouth watering at the thought of a drink, something to take the edge off. Gritting her teeth, she urged herself to snap out of it and instead made her way back to Victoria Court. She couldn't slope off for a few sneaky drinks while Michelle was probably still up in the flat worrying her head off. Carla was positive she hadn't slept at all that night, she remembered catching a few fitful hours herself, every time she woke Michelle had been laid on her back, eyes wide open, staring up at the ceiling. When she'd woke for the final time before her alarm, the rattle of the milkman trundling around the street having jolted her from where she'd been sleeping lightly, the space next to her was empty and cold.

Fumbling with her keys, Carla let herself into the apartment and stopped just as suddenly as the conversation taking place at the table.

"Ryan! When did- Oh my God, what happened to your face?" She gasped, looking horrified. Her nephew had a split lip, brushing around his eye and if she thought Michelle had looked haggard, it was nothing compared to how he looked. Dropping her back to the ground, she started to fuss over him instantly, tilting his face towards the light so she could inspect his injuries better. "Michelle, why didn't you tell me he was getting out? I asked you to call!"

"I didn't want to bother you at work," She shrugged, her tired eyes flickering over to Ryan, where she was desperately trying to catch his gaze.

"How many times, you lot come first!" Carla reprimanded, looking annoyed as her brow furrowed, but a twinge of hurt glittered in green hues. Her suspicion that something else was bothering the other woman was growing by the minute. "Are you going to tell me what happened to your face?"

She turned her attention back to Ryan, watching the way his own gaze caught Michelle's for a split second, before he cleared his throat to answer her. "I, uh, I got into a fight with some lad at the station. He was, you know, causing a scene, taunting me." He shrugged, biting his lip worriedly and wincing at the pain it caused. Her nephew looked guilty, uncomfortable as he squirmed under her scrutiny. His mouth opened again and Carla was sure he was going to tell her something, but Michelle jumped in.

"Anyway, they've released him!" Her voice was oddly bright, too bright, the cheery sparkle to her eyes bordered on hysterical. "They got why he lied about his alibi and they can't prove he supplied the contaminated drugs so that should be the end of it."

There was a finality to her tone that suggested she didn't want to discuss anything further and Carla was still confused. She didn't have time to question them, the sound of the key in the door and Ali bursting through it distracted them all. He stopped short when he saw the three of them there, before turning to Ryan with a thunderous expression.

"You!" He snapped, starting to lunge towards him before Michelle hastily placed herself between them. "I've been suspended! Pending investigation!"

" _What?"_ Michelle gasps, her hands flying to cover her mouth. "Why?"

"Because someone put in a complaint about me and tipped them off about a police investigation involving a patient that I tried to save!" He snapped, trying to see around Michelle to fix a disgusted glare in Ryan's direction.

"The police investigation is over, isn't it? Ryan was released without charge." Carla input, moving to stand behind him while she look uncertainly up at the furious Doctor. He was too much like Michelle, relatively mellow until something really fired him up, then he seemed almost unpredictable, ready to lash out at whoever had caused the upset.

"Doesn't matter, the hospital have their own investigation to carry out now and until they have, I'm out of a job! Do you have any idea how hard I had to work to get where I was?" Ali spat, weaving around Michelle and squaring himself up to Ryan, who stood up from his seat looking furious himself. "All ruined because of _you!"_

"Hey!" Carla stepped forward to intervene when Ali seized him by the collar, holding her hands up. "Calm down!"

"Ali come on, can't you see he's had it rough? Look at his face!" Michelle tried to reason with her other son, but he just smiled, the sight of Ryan's bruised face pleasing him.

"Good. Who did it? I want to buy them a pint."

"Look, mate, let me go otherwise I'll do something we'll both regret."

"I'm not your mate!" Ali threw him back into the seat with a look of total contempt.

"Ali, I know you're angry but once they've investigated and they've found absolutely nothing on you, you'll be reinstated." Carla spoke quietly, reaching out to rest a placating hand on his arm, but he shrugged it off.

" _You_ don't know anything."

He spoke so pointedly, met her eyes directly, as though he knew something she didn't. Her phone rang out in her pocket and she rejected the call impatiently. Peter Barlow was the least of her worries right now.

"What do you mean by that?" She looked from him, to Ryan, both of them looking defeated, to Michelle, who was watching them both as if on baited breath, her eyes frantic and pleading.

"He doesn't mean anything, he's sulking." Michelle answered quickly, raising her eyebrows at Ali who shook his head and slumped down into a seat. He didn't attempt to speak again.

Carla's phone rang out once more and she growled in frustration, before recognising the different number and gasping in realisation.

"Oh God, it's that dress shop!" She hissed, hitting the answer button and pressing it to her ear. "Hi, there. Yeah, speaking." Turning her back to them while she spoke in false, cheery tones, she turned back towards Michelle and questioned her silently. "Yeah, the appointment was at four, are we still available, you want to know?"

Michelle looked unsure for a moment, biting her lip as she contemplated. She'd completely forgotten they'd arranged to go to a final bridesmaids fitting with Maria and Kate and, when she pulled her own phone from her pocket she saw that her younger cousin had messaged the group chat an hour previous asking if it was still going ahead.

"Would be be able to re-?" Carla was interrupted by Michelle, who had swept in from nowhere to take the phone from her.

"Hi, sorry about that. Yes we want to keep the appointment. We'll be there at four. Yeah, that perfect... Lovely, we'll see you there. Bye!" She hung up the phone and passed it back to Carla. "It's for our wedding, of course we're going." Offering her the first sincere smile Carla had seen for days, she reached out and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

The guilt was squirming in her guts like a nest of vipers, spitting venom at every lie she told and poising the trust between her and Carla. It was eating her alive, causing her just as much stress as the situation itself, but if Ronan knew there was a fourth member of their family, she'd be in so much danger. More so if he found out now, another thing they'd kept from him. Another reason to suspect wrong doing.

"Oh, this flaming thing!" Carla suddenly snapped as her phone sang out yet again, which she answered with little patience. "What can't you manage five minutes without me?"

" _Someone's here to see you about an order I've got no clue about because you failed to fill me in."_ Pete's irritated voice filled her ear. " _I've fobbed them off that you're out getting fancy coffee's."_

"Why don't you go back to the factory, I'll go up to the hospital with those two, get Ryan checked out and see what's going on with Ali and then we'll meet at the shop?" She suggested, sliding her phone back into her pocket. "If you don't mind taking Kate and Maria too?"

Carla looked like she wanted to argue; she wanted to stay and find out if there was more to what had happened two nights previous in their flat, she was sure Ryan was hiding something and she was sure whatever it was, Michelle knew about. But it couldn't have been a pressing issue, not if Michelle had agreed not to rearrange the dress fitting. Using this reasoning to relax herself, she gave a small nod.

" _Tell Michelle thanks ever so much for sparing you."_ Clearly he'd heard the younger brunette through the phone and in his stress, couldn't bite back the sarcastic reply.

"Oh go to hell, Peter." Carla growled throughout gritted teeth, though she was already reaching for her bag, which Ryan helpfully passed over to her.

" _Already there and I'll see you here very soon."_

Carla hung up the phone in frustration, throwing an apologetic glance over at her fiancée. "I'll see you in town, okay?" She smiled, feeling reassured once more when Michelle nodded and leaned over for a kiss, even pulling her in once more when it came to an end.

"Carla," The younger woman reached out and took her hand, the other sliding around her waist. "I'm sorry things have been so hectic. I love you, you know?"

Carla peered into the hazel hues in front of her, searching for any hint that there was more to her gesture, but they just sparkled with a sad sincerity and she wondered if perhaps any distance Michelle had placed between them was purely down to stress. Surely she didn't feel guilty over Ali and Ryan, though? She should know that they were both part of her family, too.

"I love you, too. If you need anything-"

"I know, I'll call you." Michelle smiled, placing a final kiss against her lips before letting her go.

"And you two," Carla turned sternly towards her two nephews, pointing her finger at them warningly, "behave yourselves, alright? The police have done with you, Ry, and the hospital investigation will be over before you know it Doc, so both of you just try and relax. It's the beginning of the end of a horrible situation, is all." She gave them a smile and a wave before vacating the apartment.

There was silence when the door closed and Michelle waited a few seconds, making sure she was definitely gone before turning to face her two sons, who were watching her expectantly.

"So." Ali sat back, his arms folded, lips pursed in disappointment as he eye'd his mother. "What have we lied to her about so far?"

"Well, Ronan's pal on the inside smashed my face in." Ryan shrugged, flopping back into his chair, keeping a weary eye on Michelle who was yet to move from where she was rooted, fingertips still curled from where they'd been wrapped around Carla's hand.

"So if he knows you've been arrested why hasn't he been here to do you in?" Ali asked, casually, as though nothing would please him more at that moment in time. Ryan clenched his fist and Michelle finally interjected.

"Because it's Cormack's funeral. We've got some time. Before you and Carla came home, me and Ryan we're discussing maybe you two going somewhere for a bit."

She knew the news wouldn't be well received, but she was getting desperate, fearing for the safety of both her sons.

"No. No way. I'm not going anywhere. I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Neither has Ryan! Ronan doesn't care about wrong and right. His son's dead and he's out for revenge. He won't listen to reason!"

The buzzer cut off any reply Ali had formed as both Ryan and Michelle froze, looking petrified. Letting out a heavy sigh, the Doctor pulled himself up from the seat and went to answer the door.

"Don't!"

"Oh get stuffed Ryan." Was his final reply, before he departed. Neither of the remaining two could bring themselves to break the silence. Michelle chewed worriedly on her lip, tearing at the delicate skin, while bounced his knee anxiously, looking pale.

"For you." Ali's voice emanated from the doorway and he launched what looked sickeningly like a funeral wreath over at Ryan. He caught it, setting the white cross down on the table with shaking hands. He grew paler still as he picked up the note was was attacked.

 _Rest in peace, Ryan Connor._

"Ah, the caring gangster. Says it with flowers." Ali dared to comment. In an instant Ryan was on his feet, launching himself across at Ali with a roar of anger.

" _Do you want a fat lip, ey?"_ He thundered, fear radiating through his body as Michelle scurried to put herself between them both, tears sparkling in her eyes.

"Stop it! Both of you!" She cried out, looking suddenly decisive. "I'm going to sort this out."

She ripped her jacket from the back of the chair and threw it around her shoulders, reaching out to take her bag from the table.

"Where are you going?" Ali asked, looking worried for the first time that evening, his careless tone replaced with caution.

"To speak to Ronan."

"What? Are you mad? You can't! He's after us!" Ryan spluttered, moving towards the doorway, effectively blocking her exit.

"He's not, he's after you. We can't go on like this, maybe he'll talk to me." Fear was still rippling down her spine, but not for herself. Fear for her own wellbeing had long since been doused, replaced with the flames of burning need to protect her son, her family. "Lock this door, do not move, either of you." She spoke firmly, eyes flashing dangerously as she fixed them upon the pair, as though daring them to defy her. They both shrank back into their seats, looking displeased at her decision.

"Do _not_ start fighting."

 **IXIXIXI**

"She was supposed to meet us there!" Carla was frantic as she drove back home, winding her car around the twists of the narrow streets with haste, causing Kate to flail around in her seat. Maria wasn't doing much better in the back, trying to stop the shoe boxes piled next to her from toppling over.

"Will you just calm down otherwise we'll be meeting her in hospital!" Kate seized hold of the roof handle to steady herself when Carla jerked them to a halt outside the Rovers Return. The other two women scrambled gratefully out of the car, shouting to remind Carla to lock it; the older woman was half in the Rovers before impatiently jamming her thumb against the button on her keys, the shrill tone and orange flash indicating that the car was securely locked.

"I can't believe I didn't bring my phone charger. Has she got back to you?"

"No, hers is going straight to voicemail, I told you. So is Ryan's." Under Carla's command, Kate has been trying both number relentlessly in the dress shop and on the rapid journey home. Maria had attempted to get through to Michelle too, but had had as much luck as Kate.

"Haven't you got Ali's number?" Carla asked her younger sister, who nodded and scrolled through her contacts.

"Engaged." She sighed, placing it down against the bar as Johnny came over to them, beaming until he caught the look upon Carla's face.

"Dresses not up to much?" He attempted to joke, before being silenced with nothing but a glare from his eldest daughter. "What's going on?"

" _Carla!"_ Jenny's frenzied tone pierced her ears as the woman appeared from the back room, stumbling in a desperate attempt to reach her. She was clutching a phone in her hand, the Rover's landline, and her eyes were brimming with worry.

Carla felt sick. What now? _What now?_ She felt almost numb, as though there wasn't anything she could hear that wouldn't phase her now. It was too much, the flurry of constant trauma that seemed to have plagued them month after month causing her head to spin.

"It's Ali. There's been an accident. Ryan-"

But Jenny was cut off when Carla snatched the phone from her grip and pressed it to her ear, her brain finally reminding her to breathe as she gasped down the phone.

"What happened? Are you all okay?"

" _I don't know. Mum needs you, just get here."_

"Ali!" Carla cried out in frustration as he hung up after offering her nothing of comfort, nothing of value. But she could hardly stand there and waste time ringing him back to give him a telling off. Instead, without offering any explanation of her own to her confused family, she took off out of the pub.

 **IXIXIXI**

It was a miracle she hadn't caused an accident of her own, she lost count of how many driving law's she'd broken in her haste to get to Weatherfield General. She didn't give it a seconds tonight when she pulled up into a space designated for the disabled and bypassed the parking meter completely. At that moment, she couldn't have cared if a thousand penalty tickets appeared on her windscreen.

There seemed to be an air of urgency about the place that day, it was noisy, bustling with people in pale blue or stark green overalls, flitting back and forth from treatment rooms to hassled looking receptionists. Carla marched over to the desk and slammed her hands down onto it.

"I need Ryan Con-"

"Carla!"

She whipped around and almost choked at the sight of Ali, his hands and shirt stained with blood. It was streaked across his face, splattered on the cuffs of his pale shirt, he looked like he'd pulled up from the set of a horror movie. The horror movie that was their life.

"Oh my God. What the hell happened? Are you hurt?" She fired questions at him, barely pausing for breath, not giving him a chance to answer any of them. "Where's Michelle?"

"We're through here. Ryan's been taken into theatre." He lead her down a narrow corridor, everything was pale blue, white, the colours made her nauseas. The smell of disinfectant stung her nose and caused her chest to squeeze with anxiety, the sound of machines and urgent voices brought back every bad memory of every heart stopping time she'd had to endure this place.

Then she was there, in the corridor. Hunched over with a curtain of honey brown hair that reflected the bright, dazzling white of the hospital lights tumbling across her face. She was sat on one of three plastic chairs, hands clenched on her lap. Her knuckles were white.

"Michelle," She whispered her name, but the younger woman didn't react. Crouching down, Carla peered up at her face. What little make up she'd had on had been cried off, but she wasn't crying now. She wasn't doing anything. "'Chelle," Carla repeated, reaching out to tilt her chin. "Are you hurt?" The older woman stressed, quickly turning to Ali for reassurance. "She's not hurt?"

The Doctor shook his head, he had the same look in his eyes as his mother; almost emotionless, careless defeat, like they'd completely given up.

"You're scaring me, darlin'." Carla whispered, turning back to her fiancée once more, trying to pick out anything in her features that would reveal she was taking in any word of what Carla was saying to her. Michelle seemed to stare straight through her.

"We were being chased by Ronan." Ali spoke out as Carla moved to sit beside Michelle, wrapping her arms around the younger woman's eerily still frame. She tucked the younger woman beneath her chin, resting it on top of her head, her hand moving in what she hoped were soothing circles over her back while she comforted her.

"Cormack's dad? Why?" Carla frowned, confused. "I thought he knew you'd tried to save his kid?"

"He found out Ryan had been arrested, he's got friends on the inside." Ali spoke as if on autopilot. There was no emotion to his tone, he was merely stating the facts. He stared straight ahead at the wall in front of him, his eyes replaying the horrors he'd witnessed over and over.

"Is Ryan going to be okay? Where's Ronan now?" Carla questioned, glancing nervously towards either end of the corridor.

"Ronan's dead." Ali's voice cracked, the words came out strangled and Michelle suddenly wrenched herself from Carla's grip and flew over to him.

"Don't you dare feel sorry for him!" She snapped, showing the first sign of emotion since Carla had arrived. The older brunette was taken aback at the venom in her tone, she'd expected tears, upset, but anger? Towards Ali? "Ryan could be dead too because of you! If you hadn't stopped me getting out of that car, if you'd stayed to treat him instead of that scum bag!" She continued to rage at him and the Doctor couldn't even look at her, his eyes glazed over and dropped towards the polished floor. "I'm glad he's dead and you should be glad too."

Her words were too much, he turned his bak on her and pushed opened the double doors he'd lead Carla through, disappearing from their sight.

"Michelle," Carla approached her cautiously, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder. Gently, she coaxed the other woman to face her and brushed the stray tears from her cheeks. "What did Ronan do?"

"Ryan was stood in the road." Michelle whispered, her teeth beginning to chatter as she recalled what her mind wouldn't stop replaying. "Ronan drove straight at him. Straight through him."

There was more to it, Carla knew. But it was clear she wasn't going to get much more out of her fiancée while she was in this state. Her face was drained of colour, her skin clammy, it was only then that Carla realised she was shaking. She looked as though she was about to throw up.

"Carla, I cant lose another child." She looked up at her desperately, a single, solitary tear spilling from one eye and falling down her cheek. Carla struggled to swallow the sizeable lump that suddenly leapt into her throat, her heart clenching at the thought.

"You won't, you wont 'Chelle." She whispered, hoping to hell that she was right. No one had given her any indication of how serious it was, but the look on both Michelle and Ali's faces had told her enough for the dread to settle heavily in the pit of her stomach. Pulling her in once more, Carla fastened her arms securely around the younger brunette, lacing kisses into her hair, against the side of her head. "You're in shock, sweetheart. It's going to be alright though, I promise. Ryan's going to be fine."

 **IXIXIXI**

Carla pushed open the door to Roy's rolls, finding that she barely had the strength to do so. She couldn't remember the last time she'd endured a night so long and horrible. The relief that had flooded through her when the Doctor's had deemed Ryan stable had threatened to send her keeling over, and Michelle very nearly had at the news. The younger woman had refused to leave her son all night and it was only when Kate had showed up that Carla had managed to pull her away from his bedside. He still hadn't been conscious when they'd left, but they'd been meticulously reassured that the induced coma he'd been placed in was entirely safe and the best option for a likely recovery.

Michelle was bordering on ill from how little sleep she'd had in the recent nights and Carla was crippled with worry over her health. She'd instructed her to stay in the flat while she went out and got her something to eat. It hadn't been high on her list of priorities and shopping had been even lower than that, meaning aside from half a carton of eggs well past their sell by and some questionably smelling yogurt, there hadn't been a lot to offer in terms of food. Their bread was more green than brown and Carla had tossed it into the bin in disgust. Housekeeping had been added to the top of her list of things she needed to do.

She was just making her way in when she felt someone bump into her. "Oi! You ever thought about using those two, wet, round things embedded in your skull-" She snapped her mouth shut when she realised who it was. "Ali, where have you been? We've been worried!" It was only a half lie, she'd wondered where the Doctor had disappeared to after Michelle had laid into him, but the younger woman hadn't had time to contemplate his disappearance when she was wondering whether her other son was going to survive.

"I should have told the truth." He whispered, more to himself; he hadn't even acknowledged that anyone had spoken to him. Carla didn't think he'd even realised he'd almost knocked her flying. He was staring straight ahead once more, his eyes had the same glazed look as the last time she'd seen him. Though his hands and face were now clean, he still bore the shirt from the night before, the blood splattered across the cuffs now dark and dry.

"Ali, what're you talking about?" Carla was beginning to fear for his wellbeing too. "Tell who the truth?" She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a small shake. This seemed to jolt him to his senses a little.

"Carla, is Ryan-?"

"He's stable, Michelle's back home. Where did you go?"

"I've been walking."

"All night? It's freezing!" Carla noticed he wasn't even wearing a jacket. "Get inside, lets get you a drink."

Once they were sat at a table and Roy had placed two steaming mugs in front of them, Carla found she really couldn't wait any longer.

"Ali what did you mean about telling the truth? Please, I need to know. What the hell has been going off? And don't try and fob me off because you've just said yourself you've been lying. I think I deserve to know."

Ali had seized in fear at Carla's demand for the truth, but when she finished speaking he seemed to relax somewhat.

Taking a sip from his mug, he let out a heavy sigh and nodded slowly. "We've all been lying," he murmured, feeling a little guilt that he was about to dob his mother right in. "After Cormack died, Ronan came to the flat. He seemed alright at first but then he got all weird, started asking about who lived there. It was like he was threatening us."

Carla listened, her brain whirring as she tried to keep up with his explanation. She hadn't exactly had much sleep herself but renewed adrenaline was kicking in as she began to piece things together with the help of Michelle's biological son.

"She made out she lived alone, took her ring off. She said we had to keep you out of it because you'd be in danger if you knew about him or vice versa. Which is true, you would have been. He'd have tried to kill you too."

In a way, this is what she appreciated about Ali. He often came across as callous, abrupt, but there was no beating around the bush. No sugar coating. He told it exactly how it was and it was clear he'd been struggling with the build up of lies over the last few days.

"It was one of Ronan's friends on the inside who beat Ryan up. He found out he'd been arrested and he knew he'd lied, so figured something wasn't right. He sent a funeral wreath to the house yesterday, after you'd left."

"Is that when he chased you?" Carla asked in a horrified whisper, pushing her mug away. She felt sick, sick at how close she'd come to losing her family, sick at how she hadn't seen what was happening right under her nose. Sick that Michelle had been able to keep her out of the picture so easily...

"No, mum went to see him. She said she was going to try and talk him down."

"She did _what?"_ Carla's jaw clenched, teeth gritting together. Why must she always be so stupid? Why could she never just leave things alone? "What happened then?"

"She was gone ages, we were worried. We almost rang you to tell you everything but then she came flying in. She said Ronan had threatened us all and we had to go."

"Go where? What did you think you were doing?" Carla had to keep the edginess out of her voice, she didn't want him to think she was angry at him, not when he seemed the only one willing to tell her the truth.

"I don't think she knew herself. We all just packed our bags and got in the car."

"Packed- what? She was leaving? You were all leaving?" It was overwhelming hurt that spread throughout her body, seeping down her shoulders, winding its way around her spine and turning into bubbling anger in her stomach. "What, you just thought you'd all up and leave me, to hell with the consequences of those left behind?"

"It wasn't my idea! I was begging her to go to the police. Me and Ryan told her over and over she needed to tell you." Ali defended, resenting the anger she'd directed towards him. "He was on our tail the second we set off. He chased us to the back end of nowhere, the car broke down and Ryan decided to play hero and confront him."

"Well we know where he gets that from." Carla's hands were clenched tightly around her mug. The coffee had been boiling hot and the porcelain was burning the palms of her hands, but she felt so hot with anger all over that she barely noticed.

"Yeah well if I hadn't stopped mum getting out after him, she'd have ended up rolling over his bonnet too."

"And he just left you alone after that?"

Ali tensed up, what little colour the warmth of the cafe had brought back to his face was beginning to drain was more. "I'd called the police to tell them we were being chased. He heard the sirens and panicked. Drove into a ditch." The mug in his hands began to shake, milky brown liquid sloshing over the rim and staining the white with coffee tears.

"Hey, it's alright." Carla forced back some of the fury that was balled in her chest and placed a gentle hand on his arm. "I know what happened next, the other paramedic told me while Michelle was in with Ry. You did your best." She could barely bring herself to think about the gruesome details of Ronan being impaled on a fence post after the crash and the last thing she wanted to have Ali do was reiterate what was probably beyond anything training could have taught him. She felt for him, he'd been in an impossible situation. "Michelle will understand too, when she's over the shock."

It wasn't without guilt that she'd left him in the cafe, left him to mull over his worse thoughts but she had to go and talk to Michelle.

Carla entered the apartment slowly, locking the door behind her and placing her keys in the counter. Taking a deep breath, she turned and made her way across into the bedroom, finding Michelle unpacking a bag of clothing.

"So you were leaving, then?"

The sound of her voice made the other woman jump and she froze, the t-shirt she was holding sliding from her hands, where the material pooled on the carpet.

"What?"

"I spoke to Ali. I made him tell me everything. Michelle, what the hell did you think you were playing at?" Her voice was shaking with the effort to keep it steady, unsure whether it was hurt or rage that was building up in her chest. There wasn't even a flicker of guilt in Michelle's eyes, maybe she couldn't summon up the effort. The exhaustion was evident on her features.

"Carla, can we not do this now?" It was infuriating, the way she turned her back on the other woman and resumed sorting out the clothes from the overnight bag they'd been haphazardly thrown into.

"No. I want to hear exactly what happened. From you. Michelle?" Still, no response. The younger woman carried on placing the folded garments onto the pile she was creating. Carla felt the ripple of anger in her chest, heard it tear from her throat in a frustrated cry as she stormed up to her and snatched the shirt from her fingertips, hurtling it to the ground. " _Why didn't you tell me that man had been terrorising us for days?"_

"Because he wasn't terrorising you!" Michelle fired up instantly, abandoning her task and rounding on Carla, her arms folded across her chest. "He was after my son!"

"He came to our home! And you didn't think to tell me? You didn't think to open your gob and let me know what was happening right under my nose? Do you know how stupid I feel-"

"Oh because this is all about you, isn't it?" Michelle laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. It felt like she was completely missing her point, her laughter only winding Carla up further.

"I had a right to know! I'm in this family too! I can't believe you were just going to let me come home and find you all gone. How could you be so selfish?"

Michelle's eyes flashed dangerously, anger suddenly thundering behind the hazel hues. "Selfish?" Her voice was low and even, her lip curling. " _Selfish?"_ She spat the word at Carla, her teeth clenched together. "Ryan's in hospital. He could have die-"

"You could have all died, Michelle! That's my flamin' point! And I'd have been non-the-wiser. I wouldn't have had a clue why it happened. I didn't even know you'd gone to see that manic alone, how could you be so thick?"

"I was trying to keep you safe!" Michelle cried out, looking as though it should have been plainly obvious. "Was that so selfish of me?"

"I could have helped! How could you keep something this huge from me? How could you possibly think that's okay? We're supposed to be getting married!" Carla had to bite down on her cheek to stop the hurt creeping to her eyes. She fixed her gaze on Michelle and could have sworn there was a flicker of it there too, a hint of regret.

"Supposed to be?"

"You hid this from me so easily. I've already been through this. Having someone sneak around right under my nose-"

"No. No don't you _dare_ compare me to _him!_ " Any signs that she'd been softening, that the argument was dwindling had disappeared and nothing but intense rage emanated from her stance, the shock of Carla's words stung, as though she'd been slapped clean across the face by them. "I wasn't sneaking about with someone else, I didn't tell you because I was terrified of you being caught up in all of that! I had enough on worrying about Ryan and Ali, I didn't need the worry of losing you too!"

" _And what about me?"_ Carla screamed out, her hands clenching in sheer frustration that Michelle still didn't seem to be picking up on the other side. She wanted to shake some sense into the other woman. "What if I'd have to live with losing all of you? Did you not think about that? Did you not care?"

"Yes of course I cared Carla but what was the use of us all dying? What about Johnny and Kate and Jenny? They've lost enough. Involving you would have involved all of them. What about the factory-"

"I don't give a toss about that place!"

"Oh. Nice." Michelle scoffed, dragging the bag back towards her so she could attempt to resume unpacking. "Aidan wanted you to have it, now you don't give a stuff?"

At her words, Carla grabbed hold of the straps from the hold-all and threw it across the room, the remainder of the clothes flying out, scattering across their otherwise tidy bedroom.

" _Don't you dare use him to try and justify yourself!"_ Carla screamed out, tears springing to her eyes in spite of her efforts to keep them at bay. "Aidan said family came first. You're the one who went against his wishes!"

There was near silence after her revelation, both women breathing heavily, features flared in anger. Michelle was blinking rapidly, trying to eradicate the moisture that was gathering in her own eyes, chest heavy with hurt.

"Get out." She whispered, turning her back on the older brunette, wrapping her arms around herself. "Get out, Carla!"

Closing her eyes so she wouldn't have to see her walk away, she suddenly wished she could have closed her ears, too. Then she wouldn't have heard the angered footsteps that stomped across the bedroom, the sound of the door being flung open. There was a split second where she remained still before suddenly tearing from the room herself, catching the other woman just about to leave the apartment. "Wait!"

Carla swung around, the fury swirling in her green eyes still evident. "What, haven't you finished yet?" She snapped, snatching her keys from the side. "You were going to leave without giving me any kind of explanation. It could have been the last time I ever saw you if that psycho had had his way and not once did you stop and think-"

"I panicked. Carla, I just panicked, please-"

"You're still defending yourself! You still believe what you did was right, don't you? Getting the boys to lie for you, to me." She shook her head in disbelief, thinking back to the looks Ryan had thrown her, as though he'd wanted to speak, tell her something.

"I couldn't have lived with myself if I'd have put you in unnecessary danger, if you'd had died-"

"But you could live with yourself lying to me like that?" Carla bit back, cutting across her pleading and trying not to stare too hard into her eyes. She was still seething, so angry that she somehow hadn't been trusted with the truth. It hurt more than she cared to admit, the feeling of being pushed out, like she wasn't a good enough part of the family. In a squeeze of malice that stemmed from the insecurities fogging to her brain, her thumb fell to her left hand where she proceeded to twist the white gold band free, easing it from her finger.

"What are you doing? Stop-" Michelle's voice cracked and caught in her throat, the tears that had gathered in her eyes finally spilling down onto her cheeks. "Don't do this."

Ignoring her, she slapped the ring down against the counter, her hair whipping around her shoulders as she whirled around sharply, seizing the handle of the apartment door.

"I swear, if you walk away from this now-"

"Oh, so now you want me involved? You can't just pick and choose when I'm allowed to be relevant in your life at your convenience. That's not how things work." Carla's own eyes had clouded over but she grit her teeth together, flinging the door open.

"Carla, please-"

"You didn't care before that you might never have seen me again. Don't start pretending you do now."

 **IXIXIXI**

Johnny knew something was wrong the moment Carla stepped through the door. Well, more of a storm than a step. She'd all but took it from its hinges and she looked livid as she entered the building. Her hair was almost stood on end, fizzed with frenzy, billowing behind her as she thundered over to the bar.

"I need a vodka. A double. No, a triple." She seethed, hands shaking as she struggled to unzip her bag and extract her purse.

Johnny puffed out his cheeks, throwing the towel he was holding over his shoulder, before making his way towards his daughter, whose eyes were sparkling with ferocity.

"What's happened?"

"Me and Michelle are done. Split up. I think. I don't know. Just get me that drink."

" _What?"_ Johnny spluttered, looking utterly perplexed. His face was scrunched in bewilderment, he seemed to trip up on his words for a moment.

"My drink?" Carla pressed, tapping on the surface of the bar impatiently. Finally, Johnny managed to find a few words, but stringing them into a sentence was a struggle to start with.

"What the- No- No that's- What're you playing at, 'split up'? Have you 'eck, I'm not getting you a vodka, get through to the back." He ordered, jabbing his thumb behind him to indicate. Rolling her eyes, Carla snatched up her bag and violently flipped up the latch, thundering by an extremely confused Jenny.

"Explain, now." Johnny closed the door behind them, standing across from Carla with his arms folded.

"Don't look at me like that! She lied to me!" Carla suddenly burst out, unable to contain her malice at the perceived blameful gaze her father was casting down on her. "I can't be dealing with that. I won't."

"Okay, okay," Johnny held up his hands to show he wasn't going to fly off the handle. Instead he took a seat on the sofa, inviting her to sit beside him with a gentle pat on the cushion.

Carla flopped down with a heavy sigh, resting her head in her hands for a moment. She hadn't a clue what she was doing, truth be told. As usual, she'd let anger get the better of her. But she couldn't stand it, the way Michelle had decided to deceive her like that. Every time she attempted to reason with the idea, her chest throbbed hotly and another surge of rage sparked in her veins.

"Carla?"

Johnny had been awaiting an explanation that his eldest daughter had yet to give, too busy taking deep, slow breaths in an attempt to calm herself down.

"That Ronan fella, he's been trying to get them for days. He showed up at the flat and threatened them, his police pal knocked seven bells out of Ryan in prison, he sent a funeral wreath with Ry's name on it to the flat-" she broke off, pushing her hand through her hair, another stressful sigh leaving her lips. When she listed it off like that, adding up everything that had happened, part of her wondered exactly how terrified Michelle must have been. But she hadn't come to her. Why?

"Hang on, slow down, I don't understand-"

"No, neither did I at first!" Carla laughed manically, there was no humour in her tone. "Not until I made Ali tell me everything."

"Right, start from the beginning. This lad that died in your flat, that was his son?"

Carla nodded, pulling her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, a smaller, defeated sigh escaping her lips.

"After Ryan got arrested and Sophie changed her statement, naturally he got suspicious. Wondered what Ryan had to hide. Well, he was done for. They all were. He made those threats until Michelle-" pausing, she dropped her head into her hands, letting out a groan of frustration. "She actually went to see him. On her own, to try and talk him down. She's so, so stupid." Even though she was furious, her voice had softened to a petrified whimper at what could have been. "He threatened all of them, they felt they had to run. He was tailing them the whole time, waiting for them to make an escape."

"Escape to where, exactly?"

At his words, Carla felt her eyes begin to glaze over. She tried blinking them away, but Johnny had already seen. He moved forward, resting his hands over hers, his features softening.

"Michelle packed a bag and legged it, with them. That's why she didn't turn up to the appointment at the dress shop." She swallowed hard, the tears that had gathered in her eyes spilling down her cheeks. "I wouldn't have known, I could have come home to an empty flat, no word. I could have come home to the news they were all dead." Raising a trembling hand, she swiped at the tears on her cheeks, erasing them from existence. The heaviness in her heart still remained.

Johnny shook his head, the corner of his mouth pulling up in sympathy. Carla took a deep breath before explaining the gist of the argument that had followed. Johnny didn't try to interrupt, interject an opinion, he listened, growing thoughtful when she came to a finish.

"She didn't even care about that. So I left," She whispered with a quiet sniff. "Took off my ring and just got out of there."

She saw Johnny's eyes flicker to her hand, confirming indeed that she was no longer wearing her engagement ring.

"This bloke sounded like a piece of work, Carla. I mean, clearly he would stop at nothing to get revenge. I think Michelle really was just trying to protect you. And that's not me saying I agree with what she did," he added in quickly, as though worried he would anger her once more. "I'm just saying I understand where she was coming from. I understand both of you."

This must have been exactly what he meant all those times he joked about not being able to take sides if they argued. Although, just like Carla had insisted before, she wouldn't have wanted Johnny to fly off the handle at Michelle. She realised that all she'd wanted was someone to listen to her, to understand her point of view and Johnny had done exactly that.

"Look, you're both in shock. You're both angry. Michelle's panicking, you're panicking that she's going to start keeping secrets and I bet neither one of you has slept."

Carla shook her head; they'd been at the hospital all night with Ryan and when they'd finally come home, Carla had insisted on going to Roys to get them all something to eat and had found Ali wondering the Street aimlessly. The Doctor had looked on the verge of collapse, muttering incoherently about how he should have gone to the police sooner and Carla had demanded to know the events leading up to the accident. She suddenly felt guilty, she'd stormed off and left Ali in the cafe, he hadn't looked right at all. Hardly even able to imagine what horrors he must have seen, she suddenly wished she'd have made him come with her, made sure he was safe.

"I shouldn't have walked out like that." Carla suddenly admitted, feeling exhausted now that the fierce adrenaline was ebbing its way out of her system. "She just wound me up so much."

"Well to say you're both hot-headed would be a bit of an understatement." Johnny attempted to joke, offering her a smile which Carla returned only half heartedly. "Look, you need to talk to her. Maybe when you've both calmed down a bit?" He suggested, feeling they were getting somewhere when she nodded in agreement.

Reaching out, he took one of her hands and clasped it between his on, catching her eye before he spoke again. "Just remember that you're a team. It's you and her versus this horrible situation, not you versus her."

"That's my whole point, though. I thought we were supposed to be a team from the start." She sighed, grumpily dropping her chin into her hand.

"If Ronan had known about you, you'd have been another target. Not just you, but Kate, Jenny, me. Michelle's got her heart in the right place, I think she genuinely thought she was doing it for the best."

"Yeah, she did mention something like that." Carla nodded, biting her lip as she tried to consider her fiancées point of view. Had the roles been reversed, Carla was sure she'd have tried to protect her. Maybe she wouldn't have kept her completely in that dark, but she'd have still done anything to keep her safe.

"And now she'll need you by her side more than ever, you'll have to pull together to get through this. You haven't really left her, have you?"

At the reminder of how she'd stormed out of the apartment, Carla's eyes widened. She looked stricken as she shook her head, glaring down at her bare hand as though realisation at the enormity of her parting gesture had just hit her.

"Oh, God. She just saw her son roll over a car bonnet and I threw my ring in her face." She panicked, jumping up from the sofa. Pulling her phone from her pocket, her heart sank to see she'd already been talking with Johnny for almost an hour. Michelle was sure to have gone off to visit Ryan by now.

"If she knows you as well as she should by now, I don't think she'll have taken you seriously."

"Let's hope not." Carla nodded, throwing her back over her shoulder. She turned to Johnny and offered him a warm smile, all the anger she'd thundered in with replaced with sincere warmth. "Thank you, for letting me vent and talking some sense into me."

Johnny moved forward and accepted the hug that she offered, patting her back affectionately as she leant up and kissed his cheek.

"Carla," he called out to her when she turned to depart, causing her to pause and spin around to face him. "It's actually not just you and her versus this. We're all here to support you if you need it."

 **IXIXIXI**

Carla pulled her car into the assigned parking space behind Victoria Court and chewed her lip, worriedly. She'd gone straight up to the hospital only to find Kate by Ryan's bedside and Michelle nowhere to be seen. Her sister had said she hadn't been there since they'd left earlier that morning. Unclipping her belt, Carla stepped out into the chilly air and tried not to work herself up. It was likely that Michelle had fallen asleep; she felt about ready to drop herself.

Her stomach twisted with nerves as she placed her keys into the lock, having half expected the door to be bolted from the inside. She pushed it open cautiously, trying to keep quiet so as not to wake anyone who may be sleeping. Her eyes fell to the counter, the ring still in the exact same place she'd slammed it own. A pulse of shame ran through her body as she picked the jewellery back up, sliding it onto her finger, the metal cold against her skin.

As she entered the apartment fully, she almost jumped in shock. Michelle was sat on the sofa, clutching a can in her hand. Carla couldn't even remember the last time she saw her drink one. A second, abandoned one across from her told her she hadn't started to drink alone.

"Is Ali home?" Carla finally asked, her tone uncertain. The younger woman hadn't moved a muscle since she'd stepped back into the flat, hadn't acknowledged her presence. Her curtain of glossy hair was hiding her face and it rippled in the dull light when she gave a slow nod. A small amount of relief flooded through her body at the knowledge he was back, but she still felt nervous about approaching Michelle.

She did so apprehensively, sinking into the cushion beside her, allowing her bag to fall against the carpet with a dull thud.

"I, uh, went to see Ryan." She offered, hoping that would get Michelle to turn and face her. "Kate was with him. He's doing well, they're already talking about taking him off the ventilator tomorrow."

"I know, the hospital phoned." Michelle's voice was hoarse, broken, the words sounding scratchy in her throat. The beer can that was clenched in her hand was trembling slightly and Carla reached out to take it from her, placing it down on the coffee table.

"I thought you'd be up there," Carla attempted once more to keep some kind of conversation going, anything to try and begin to defuse the tension between them.

Tucking her hair behind her ear, Michelle finally turned to face Carla, who felt her stomach drop. The younger brunette looked terrible; deathly pale, her eyes puffed up and swollen, bruising shadows jumping from beneath them. They were still watery, pink patches on her cheeks where her tears had rubbed the skin raw. Unable to stop herself, Carla reached out to place a hand on top of hers, gasping at the icy feel to her skin.

"You're freezing!" Come to think of it, now she was settled into her surroundings, there was a bite to the air. She supposed none of them had thought to turn the heating on in the turmoil and she was sure she'd opened the bathroom window the day previous, she couldn't remember having closed it. It hadn't been obvious at first, she still had her jacket wrapped snugly around her shoulders, but Michelle was clad in a thin white t-shirt, which was offering no protection against the chill. "'Chelle?" Carla reached out to her again, one arm slipping across her back and winding around her waist as she attempted to pull her closer. "Please come here, I'm not mad at you, I'm sorry I walked out like that."

The tears came then. Thick and fast and earnest. Carla hadn't really seen her cry over the last few days, a few tears here and there, but she'd mostly remained still, practically emotionless and she understood why. She'd been strong for too long, detached herself from what had happened so she could focus purely on what she'd had to do to save her sons, and herself. But the wall she'd been using so effectively against the dam of emotion had finally become too battered to remain in place. Everything was flooding out and all she could do was let herself be swept up in it.

"It's okay, I've got you, I'm right here." Carla murmured, holding the younger woman firmly against her chest where she'd finally collapsed, fisting her hands into the material of the older brunette's shirt as she cried.

"I'm so sorry," Michelle choked, having to force our the words between the sobs what were wracking her body. "I know I should have told you. I know I shouldn't have lied. I hated every second of it, I felt so, so guilty. I've been so scared and all I wanted to do was tell you everything, I wanted you to hold me and just tell me it was going to be okay. It sounds silly to mention the factory in all of this but I didn't want to add extra stress when you'd already taken so much time off because of me." She paused to catch her breath, it was broken and raspy, her chest heaved with each gulp of air she managed to suck into her lungs. "I knew if Ronan had no idea you were in my life, you'd be safe. I thought I could do it, I thought I could protect all of you. But now- now Ryan- he's in a coma, Ali looks as though he's about to have a breakdown and-and you-I ruined everything- I'm sorry- Carla, I-" Each breath she'd taken had become more frantic, rapid, her words broken and garbled towards the end as she'd struggled to keep breathing. Carla had listened, tired to comfort her, until Michelle had worked herself up to the point where she was taking the air in but forgetting to let it out again.

"'Chelle calm down, it's alright, breathe," the older brunette pulled back so there was space between them, reaching up to cup Michelle's face so she could direct her gaze to her own. "Breathe out, slowly," she instructed gently, blowing out softly to demonstrate. "That's it's, you're okay. Now in again, steady. Count to five. Perfect, darlin', and back out once more." Carla continued to instruct her, one hand dropping to her waist, the other remaining against her cheek, her thumb stroking softly against her skin until her breath was no longer jagged, or shaking.

"Is that better?" She whispered, watching as Michelle gave a short nod, blinking slowly; tears still clung to her eyelashes. Carla ran a gentle fingertip down her cheek before shuffling back against the arm of the sofa. She swung one leg up, stretching out and patting the space in front of her invitingly, one arm held out to coax her closer. Michelle looked ready to burst into tears once more at the other woman's silent request, relief easing her tense features her face when she found herself needed into her fiancée, limbs tangled together, her head resting comfortably against her chest. Carla secured her arm around her waist, the fingertips of her other hand easing beneath her hair and combing soothingly through it.

"I get why you did it, I do." Carla spoke softly after a few moments of calming silence, continuing to rake her hands lightly through the other woman's hair. "Just swear to me that you won't ever do it again? I don't care how dangerous the situation is, we're in this together. We're a team."

"I won't, I promise." Michelle murmured against her chest, before raising her chin to meet the other woman's eyes. "I'll never lie like that again. I wasn't just saying it before, it felt so wrong to keep something from you. No more secrets, I swear. Like you said, we're a team."

"Which is why I promise you that I won't ever threaten you with our relationship again, when we argue." Carla knew her actions had been hasty, wrong, and it wasn't a mistake she intended to continue repeating. "It's cruel. I want us to work things through when we row, get through it together. No tricks or mind games, I don't ever want to start that up. Not with you."

"Carla is that- is that _emotional maturity?"_

It took Carla a second to realise Michelle was teasing her, her eyes were closed, half exhaustion, half relaxation from the older woman's continued administrations over her hair, but there was a hint of a smile across her lips.

"Hmm, I suppose it is. You bring out the worst in me." She sassed straight back, ruffling honey-brown tresses lightly as she spoke. "'Chelle," her tone became serious once more and she hesitated, worried she was about to cause tension again but knowing it couldn't be left unsaid. "We need to promise each other that we won't use family against one another, too."

Michelle pressed her lips together, shuffling up slightly so she was almost face to face with the other brunette. Her eyes had become glassy, they were already so pink from exhaustion and the amount of upset she'd already been through. "I was cruel, too." She admitted, looking ashamed at what she'd even hinted.

"We both did it," Carla sighed, leaning in to touch her forehead against Michelle's, her eyes fluttering shut. "I'm not trying to upset you, I just want us to go forward from this starting as we mean to go on. I never want us to get caught up in resentment or those toxic 'who can hit the hardest' games. I want to make sure we've worked everything out."

Her eyes may have remained close, but Michelle was listening intensely. Had they been open, tears would have been gathering rapidly once more. She raised her own hand and stroked down her face, her fingertip tracing over the contours of her cheekbone. "You really love me, don't you?"

"Did you doubt that at all?" Carla whispered, tilting her head so that their noses brushed.

"No, I'm just still in awe of it."

They met together in the type of kiss they shared when words weren't enough, when it couldn't just be said because it demanded to felt.

"I love you, so much." The words were barely a whisper ok Michelle's lips when they broke apart, she was fighting, and losing abysmally, against the pull of sleep.

"I love you, too." Carla spoke directly into her ear, before adjusting her position so that the younger woman's head dropped comfortably against her chest once more. She wasn't even sure Michelle had heard her, her fiancée's breathing had already become slow and drawn out, but it didn't matter, because she knew anyway. Inching her fingertips towards the back of the sofa, Carla tugged at the blanket that was slung over it, managing to lay it out over Michelle's sleeping form. She no longer felt cold, having been curled up against her for long enough to have warmed up, but she knew the younger woman slept better with a blanket. Even when they'd been in the midst of a searing summer she'd had one. It made her feel safe. If there was anything Carla wanted to do right now after everything she'd just been through, it was make Michelle feel safe.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! I wanted to take this in somewhat of a different direction because I've already had them both in near-death situations and in hospital a lot so I didn't want to be really repetitive. I wanted it to use it to bring in a bit of strain/tension and incorporate the drama there, but ultimately pull them all closer together as a family in the end! I focused on Carla's perspective so that it wasn't too close to the show and also to actually bring her forward into the storyline. More drama to follow! Oh and to the Corrie intel clearly reading my story- me next time yeah we can collaborate, I have plenty more ideas! (; (; haha I'm just joking. These coincidences have me shook! Corrie crew are onto us and our ideas, authors! :p**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/n: This chapter is my double festive special, so please make yourselves a brew because it is the longest chapter yet! Sorry if you're dairy-free because this is full of cheese! (Ba-dum-ts!)**

 **Tw: mild sexual content**

It was dark when Michelle entered the flat, only the stark red glow from the button on the television, which had been left on standby, winking ominously in the silent room. She settled her keys against the counter and let out an exhausted sigh. It was barely past six-thirty in the morning. For the entire evening she'd sat at Ryan's bedside, holding his hand, talking to him softly over the steady whir of machines surrounding his bedside. Carla had stayed with her until early evening before having to head off to try and sleep, promising she'd check on Ali for her. She'd left Michelle the car, which the younger woman suspected had been a ploy to get her to return home for sleep herself at some point; she knew Carla would need it for work should there be last minute meetings to dash off to.

Her eyes fell towards the kitchen table and she let out a gasp, jumping in fright. She hadn't seen him there straight away, not until her eyes had become adjusted to the dark had she seen the dark figure hunched over the table, head in their hands.

"Ali!" She hissed, snapping on the kitchen light, the sudden harshness of the glare unwelcoming to both of them as they screwed up their eyes against the bright intrusion. They looked as bad as each other; peaky, facing one another with still expressions, like two stone carvings, permanent purple grooves etched beneath their eyes from a prolonged lack of sleep.

"Have you been up all night?" Michelle stressed, making her way over to where he was sat. She pulled out the chair beside him and sat down, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Couldn't sleep." His voice sounded like a shoe scuffed against gravel, gruff from its lack of use. It was then she noticed the empty tumblr in front of him, the whiskey bottle that was only half full.

"Ali, I'm sorry for what I said at the hospital. I was in shock-"

"It fine." He cut across her, his gaze fixed intently on the surface of the table.

It was anything but, the tension between them was beginning to crush her and she desperately wanted to make things right.

"I'm proud of you," she continued, stretching out to try and hug him. "And really grateful that you were there, you saved us-"

Apparently it had been the wrong thing to say. He pulled back from her abruptly and shot to his feet, almost sending his chair toppling over in his haste.

"I did _nothing_ anyone should be grateful for." Ali snapped, snatching up the bottle before making his way towards the bedroom. "I'm going to try and get some sleep, I don't want disturbing."

The slam of the door made her flinch, she had to blink the tears from her eyes. She was too exhausted to even begin to reason with him, not when it would only turn into a fight; something else that she didn't have the strength for.

"'Chelle?"

Another sleepy, husky voice came from the doorway, this one warmer, softer and causing a surge of longing to envelope her weary frame as she pulled herself from her chair and took a few steps closer to where Carla was stood. Looking fatigued but less so than the other two occupants, she was wrapped snugly in a snowy, teddy bear robe, her dark hair falling down the front of the cosy material. She was blinking, adjusting to the light after stepping from the darkness of their bedroom, one of her hands moving to brush the stray hairs away from her face.

"Sorry, did we wake you?"

"No, I wasn't really sleeping great. How's Ryan?" She asked, her eyes shining with concern.

"He still hasn't woke up but he's doing really well, they don't think it'll be long now."

"Oh, that's good news." Carla smiled with the relief, though it didn't stay stretched across her lips very long when she realised how upset the younger woman looked. Michelle had her eyes cast to the floor, where they were gradually filling with tears. Her figure was slumped where she stood, as though her body had given up trying to make the short distance from where she'd been sat to where Carla had appeared and her lower lip was trembling.

The sight before her tugged at her heartstrings. Carla hadn't ever given much thought to the expression. It was what people would say about those adverts on television about struggling animal shelters that rescued abandoned puppies and sure they weren't the cheeriest, but she had never understood the notion that something, other than the overwhelming grief that came with loss, could physically pull at her heart. Until it came to Michelle. Watching her stood there, looking so utterly fragmented, it was like she could feel the tug of those strings; the way they strained as her heart stretched, like it was trying to reach her, struggling desperately within the confines of her chest. It took a second for her sleep addled limbs to catch up with her emotions, but when they did she hurriedly made her way over to Michelle, holding her arms out.

"Baby, come here," She coaxed her gently, wrapping the younger woman in a comforting embrace.

Michelle clung to her gratefully, the tears that had gathered in her eyes spilling down her cheeks, her brow furrowed in an effort to keep her remaining pent up emotion at bay. She nuzzled into the soothing material of the dressing down Carla was wearing. It was so soft. She knew it would be.

"Ali can't stand to be around me," She whimpered tearfully, her voice cracking.

"That's not true at all," Carla assured her, stroking over her hair, beginning to sway the both of them gently. "He just needs time to process everything, like you do."

"I've cost him his job, his sanity, he's never going to forgive me. I bet he regrets ever stepping back into my life-" she choked on the rest of her words, heard the other brunette hushing her quietly and felt Carla's arms tighten around her. "I'm sorry, I know I should be happy that Ryan's going to be okay, I'm such a mess-"

"Hey, stop that." Carla stepped back slightly and observed her fiancée, using the tips of her fingers to brush tears from the younger woman's skin before cupping her cheeks. "Listen to me. Ali loves you, he does. He's traumatised though, 'Chelle, so are you and he will come to you when he's ready. And you," she paused, gently tipping her chin to bring Michelle's watery gaze to meet her own. "Are not a mess. You're shattered, sweetheart. Did you sleep at all at the hospital?"

At the shake of her head, Carla sighed. Michelle had managed to get in a fitful few hours the previous day while curled on the sofa with her, but she'd wriggled and murmured, unable to relax fully. She'd woke exactly three hours later and after a quick shower and change of clothes, the pair of them had been straight back up to the hospital where Michelle had remained.

"Every time I close my eyes, I see that maniac drive straight through him. I see him laid out on the road, pouring blood and I couldn't stop it." More tears trickled from beneath her eyes, which were now closed. Her lashes were heavy with them.

"Come on," Carla took her hand, which felt cool in contrast to her own and lead her through into the bedroom.

Their bed had never looked so inviting, the older brunette's side was rumpled where she'd slept, the corner of the duvet pulled back. Michelle could feel the exhaustion right to her bones, they ached with it. All she longed to do was collapse into the sheets, be able to switch off mentally as well as physically for a few hours. She changed into the pyjamas Carla handed to her without argument, her muscles practically cheering when she finally sank onto the soft mattress. Waiting until her fiancée had shuffled under the covers next to her, Michelle forwent her own pillow and instead crammed herself into Carla's, their foreheads touching when she turned to face her.

"Are you going to work?" Michelle whispered, stretching her hand beneath the duvet to find Carla's, lacing their fingers together.

"I can have an hour or so with you. I'm only going to be there until lunchtime to tie up a few loose ends and then I'm taking a few days off." It was something she'd decided the night previous. "I'm going to look after you."

"Can you do that?"

"I can do what I want." Carla shrugged, biting her lip slightly at the thought of Peter's reaction when she went to inform him he'd be solo for a few day's. "Besides, my so-called sleeping partner investor decided he was going to be assisting me from now on, full time."

Michelle, who had been using the pad of her thumb to brush over the back of Carla's hand, suddenly froze, glancing up at her uncertainly.

"Peter? How come?"

"He thinks I can't cope, he's just trying to prove a point. He'll get fed up." She sighed, bringing their entwined hands up to her mouth, pressing reassuring kisses over the younger woman's.

"I'm sorry," Michelle looked upset all over again, which confused Carla. It must have shown because after swallowing, she continued. "This is because of everything that's happening here. You've been running about after us, we've had so much going on and it isn't fair, you shouldn't have to deal with all this. I've piled so much stress onto you, you could have easily been in just as much danger as all of us if-"

"Michelle, stop it." Carla spoke firmly, but tiredly, she'd been over this so many times with her. "We're a family. Do you think even if we weren't together, I'd have let you go through this alone?"

She didn't answer, just struggled to push herself even closer towards Carla, gently curling her leg around the other woman's and nuzzling into the crook of her neck. "I still feel awful."

"You remember where I grew up right? The circumstances I grew up in? If there's anyone equipped to deal with something like this, then it's me."

Her words were true, but they didn't make Michelle feel any better. In fact, there was a sudden dampness against her skin and the younger woman's breath had become shaky again. "I promised I'd get you away from all of that, when we were kids."

"'Chelle, I wouldn't have even made it here if it hadn't been for you. You have to stop blaming yourself for all of this because I don't blame you one bit."

Carla gently unwound her fingers from Michelle's, letting go of her hand so that she could slide her own beneath her chin, pulling back to look at her face. Tear tracks still stained her cheeks, they were glinting in the dim light that filtered through the curtains. She moved in closer and touched soft kisses beneath her eyes, her nose bumping lightly into the younger brunette's when she pressed a third against her lips.

They both lingered, needing the contact, before Michelle pulled away and studied her fiancées face. She wasn't the only one who looked exhausted, there were shadows beneath Carla's eyes too.

"You said you hadn't slept well?"

"I missed you."

"Is that why you're wearing my dressing gown?" Michelle smiled, the weak blush that danced across Carla's cheeks at her words lightening her chest just for a second. She knew the conversation she was about to have with Carla would probably upset them both. It felt wrong, interrupting the serene moment but she'd promised to keep her up to date; the last thing she wanted was for Carla to think she was trying to keep things from her again.

"The police came to speak to me when you'd left the hospital." She mumbled, fiddling with the watch that was fastened around Carla's wrist; the other woman must have forgotten to remove it before bed.

"Again?"

"It's protocol for people who're in shock. Gives us time to process everything and remember more accurately. As if I want to rake over those details." Michelle half scoffed, half sighed. She couldn't be angry at the detective for doing her job and had Ryan's life not been on the line, she probably would have felt more cooperative.

"Did anything new come up?"

At Michelle's silence, Carla pushed herself up on her elbow, fixing her with a pointed stare.

"Ronan had a gun."

"A _gun?"_ Had there been light in the room, Michelle was sure she'd have seen the other woman pale. "What the hell was he going to do with a gun?"

Michelle swallowed, reluctant to point out the obvious. Not that it needed saying, she was sure the question was mostly rhetorical.

"At worst, take us all out." She was surprised at now matter-of-factly she'd spoke the words, considering how little time had passed since she'd recovered from taking a bullet herself. Maybe she was growing immune to the trauma, or the idea of dying herself was so much less terrifying than the idea of losing her family. Or maybe she was just so tired.

"How _dare_ he think he had the right to decide whether you lived or not. I know he lost his son but how does that at all justify taking three lives? Taking out my entire family just like that." Carla was speaking more to herself, trying to absorb the shock of Michelle's words. She didn't know whether she wanted to burst into tears or fits of rage. Her body was trembling with anger, but it was tears that sprang to her eyes.

"Hey, it's okay, we're safe now. I'm here." Michelle was unsure what reaction she'd been expecting but the tears had caught her by surprise. Then again, Carla hadn't cried herself yet, not properly, she'd held everything back to be strong for her.

"It's not okay, I don't know how many times I can cope with almost losing you." She whispered into the dark, her voice cracking. "I never want to let you out of my sight again." Even though the sob escaped from her own mouth, she still tried to pull the younger woman closer as if comforting her, but Michelle moved in first and gently guided Carla against herself, wrapping both arms firmly around her waist.

"He's gone now, no one's going to hurt me again. I'm not leaving you." She whispered soothingly, lacing kisses into her hair.

Carla was just as taken aback herself at her sudden display of emotion, but soaked up the comfort Michelle gave to her. With her head pressed into her chest, she relished the steady pulse of her heart; she never did take a moment spent with her for granted but she was overcome by a new wave of appreciation for her. Deciding that she was just going to have to be late, she pulled the duvet cover up over both of their shoulders and cuddled further into her in the room that was getting slowly lighter.

Michelle didn't know when she'd fallen to sleep, it must have been sometime after Carla's tears had stopped and she'd kissed her once more. All she knew was that the light streaming into the room was beyond irritating and she didn't want to wake up. Not yet. It was so warm, she was bundled up tightly and refusing to give in to the gentle shaking.

"'Chelle, come on baby. The police are on the phone."

Letting out a defeated groan as she sat up, wincing as the light savaged her eyes, she scrubbed her fists into them and cleared her throat, preparing to take the phone from Carla. The older woman must have woken before her, because she was freshly showered and dressed. She was clad in her usual dark denim, a white shirt and Michelle couldn't remember if she'd purchased it for herself or Carla. She thinks that she vaguely remembers wearing it one time and the older brunette had commented about how much she'd liked it. Michelle hadn't worn it since but had seen Carla pull it from the hanger on a few occasions. It looked good on her, but then again, what didn't?

Carla was still wandering around room while Michelle spoke down the phone, spraying perfume on herself and checking her reflection in the mirror. To look at, no one would ever think she'd spent most of the night tossing and turning, and a good hour crying into Michelle before dropping off for an extra few. It was pushing ten o'clock and Peter had sent a lot of texts in capital letters which she hadn't bothered to read.

"What was that about?" Carla asked, once the other woman had ended the call and dropped back against the headboard.

"I've got to go and make an official statement later, down at the station." She looked annoyed, even though it had been inevitable that she would have to do so.

"What time?"

"Twelve-thirty."

Carla let out a wince, knowing there was no way she'd be able to get in and out of the office in two hours, not if she wanted to complete everything she had to do before taking time off.

"I'm going to finish at half two, if you're still at the station I'll pick you up. If not, I'll meet you at the hospital?" She was right in assuming that was Michelle's plan for the day.

Nodding, Michelle reluctantly pushed back the covers and stepped out of bed, the chill hitting her as soon as she was free from the cushy confines. "God it's freezing."

"I know, I'll have to walk if my car hasn't defrosted. It'll take me less time." There wasn't really any reason not to walk today, other than the icy temperatures, she had no meetings and could come back for the car once she'd finished work. She made her way over to Michelle and rubbed her hands against her shoulders, creating a very feeble warmth. "Right, Ive got to dash off but I can message Kate or Johnny and ask them to sit with Ryan for a bit until we get up there, okay?" She had been about to suggest they ask Ali, but was unsure what terms him and Ryan were now on.

"Thank you," Michelle wrapped her arms around the other woman's neck, stretching up towards her. Carla was in relatively low heels but it still put her a good couple of inches above her. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She touched a brief kiss to Michelle's lips, but then seemed to think better of her actions and went in for a longer one, her thumb brushing the underside of her jaw. "I'll see you soon."

 **IXIXIXI**

"No, I understand. It's family and family comes first. Go on."

"What?" Carla blinked, wondering if she'd misheard, because surely _Peter Barlow_ wasn't being reasonable?

"I've got the gist of it, we're on track for this deadline and the others aren't for another week so if you need a few days, go on. I've got this."

"Uh, thanks." The factory boss still looked stumped as she gathered up her bag, slowly backing out of the office, as though she was expecting him to change his mind. Not that she'd have listened, it would have just meant another argument and a load of stress to come back to. She'd listened carefully for even a hint of sarcasm in his tone but there was none. "Right, I'll be back in a few days, then."

"Tell Ryan we're wishing him a speedy recovery, Mrs C!" Sean called out to her as she walked by the machinists, giving her a cheery wave.

"I will, thank you."

They were a decent workforce, really. Something she supposed she'd have to remember when it came to dishing out the Christmas bonus. She checked her phone once more and saw that Michelle hadn't replied to her previous message asking how she was getting on. A quick phone call confirmed to Carla that she must still be at the station, so she began making her way back to Victoria Court. She'd see how Ali was doing and wait for Michelle to phone her back.

Carla did end up taking a slight detour, deciding to grab sandwiches from Roy's for the three of them. They still needed to do a proper shop, despite the fact that she hadn't seen either Michelle or Ali eat much of anything since they'd come back from hospital. The latter had gained an appetite for whisky though and Carla had been debating whether to warn him what a slippery slope that was. Maybe she'd wait to see how things faired out after he'd been reinstated, it might be a temporary blip.

"Ali you can't leave!"

Carla had been too busy stuffing her purchases from Roy's Rolls into her bag to realise that Michelle had thrown herself in front of the car she recognised as her own.

"Please, you can't do this!" Michelle screamed at him, frantically.

The car gave a huge roar as the driver, who she assumed was Ali, revved the engine.

"Get our of the way!" He barked at her through the window and just for a split second, Carla thought he was going to drive through her.

"No, you're not leaving!"

Suddenly snapping into action after recovering from the initial shock, Carla dashed across towards where the two were playing a dangerous game of chicken and called out to them.

"What the _hell_ is going on? Ali, what're you playing at?" She cried out, moving to stand by the open window. Met with a thunderous stare, he thrust his hand out in front of him, gesturing towards where Michelle was stood.

"Tell her to shift!"

"What the- Hey, this is _my_ car, lad!" As realisation dawned on her, she wrenched open the door and snatched the keys from the ignition, effectively silencing the engine. "Get out! You're not going anywhere."

Waiting until he'd removed himself from the vehicle, she locked it up and stowed the keys safely in her bag.

"What the flamin' 'ell are you both playing at?" She looked from one to the other, wondering what on earth could have sparked such a dramatic spat. Ali was glaring at Michelle with something close to hatred while the younger brunette looked on the verge of collapse. Realising they were already attracting unwanted attention from passers-by, Carla gripped hold of Ali's shoulder and gave him a push towards the apartment building. "Get inside, both of you!"

Looking furious and opening his mouth to argue, Ali was cut off from saying anything again by Carla's stern tone.

" _Now._ Otherwise I'll report you for trying to steal my flippin' car!"

"Oh you're reporting me, too? That's what you're good at, isn't it? Ganging together. The Connor pack mentality." He snapped, though there was a hint of panic, his eyes were wide with hysteria as he glanced hurriedly around the street.

"Were you injured in that accident as well?" It was a semi-serious question, even if Carla had delivered it sarcastically. "You're part of this family-"

"That's a joke."

"Whether you like it or not, you _are_ a Connor and we don't run away from our problems so you better get yourself back up to that flat or I swear I will drag you there, kid." She spoke with such authority, her fingertip jabbing towards the entrance of Victoria Court that he seemed unwilling to go against her demands. He let out a scoff, but turned and made his way back inside. Carla followed behind him, reaching out and resting a gentler hand against Michelle's back to gently guide her back inside too. She looked pale, completely terrified.

"I need one of you to explain to me what that was about." Carla spoke calmly once they were in the apartment, the door closed and locked.

Ali threw what appeared be a warning glance at Michelle, who looked torn, her eyes filling with tears.

"If you tell her, I will leave for good."

"Ali, I can't, I promised no more secrets." Michelle pleaded with him, reaching out to place her hand on his shoulder. He shrugged her off with vigour, turning on her.

"Well then I might as well go and hand myself in because if you haven't said anything, she will!" He looked at her expectantly, and when Michelle offered nothing in response it seemed to wind him up further. " _Go on then!_ " Ali roared as his temper flared. " _Tell her!"_

But Michelle was incapable of saying anything, she'd jumped back in fright at his sudden outburst and Carla had seen quite enough of his anger herself.

"Oi!" She interjected, stalking up to him without an ounce of apprehension. "That's your mum, don't you shout at her like that!" Gripping hold of his bicep, she marched him over to the sofa and all but threw him down onto it. "Sit down and, this is the important one, _calm down."_ She was pointing her finger at him warningly as she spoke.

Turning away from him so she could go to Michelle, who was still stood by the kitchen table, she slung her arm around her waist.

"Hey, come on, we can sort this," She began, before realising Michelle was trembling violently, her face void of all colour. "'Chelle? Baby, you're shaking." Carla pulled her closer, guiding her shivering frame against her body and wrapping her arms securely around her. "It's alright, it's alright," she tried to soothe her, casting a frown towards Ali over her shoulder.

"Happy now?" Carla couldn't stop herself from snapping, clearly under the impression that his rage had caused Michelle the upset. "You know how much stress she's been under-"

"She's not the only one." Ali mumbled, though did look slightly ashamed of himself. In fact, now that he wasn't shouting the odds, he looked in a similar state to the younger brunette; pale, shaking, like he was going to burst into tears at any given moment.

"I didn't say anything to the police." Michelle's voice was timid as it broke the air. She pulled back from Carla but kept hold of her hand as she made her way towards where Ali was sat. Confident that he wasn't about to go off again, Michelle took a seat beside him with Carla joining her closely.

"Michelle, what's going on?" The older brunette frowned, looking to them both for an explanation.

"Ali, please, Carla won't say anything. She loves us."

"She loves _you."_

"Can you stop speaking as though I'm not sat here?" Carla herself suddenly interjected, shaking her head at the pair of them. "I love my _entire_ family, and right now I'm worried sick about them because neither of you will tell me what's happening."

There was a long pause, where Ali and Michelle seemed to converse silently. The young doctor looked defeated, pushing his hand over his hair in stress, a trait that Carla had always associated with Michelle.

"Ali panicked after the accident," Michelle started, though was stopped by Ali, who had reached out to rest his hand over hers. It was hard to tell whether he looked more terrified or sick. His expression had Carla wondering if she should run for a bucket.

"Mum, I did it. I'll say it."

He took a deep breath, glancing up at the ceiling while he blinked the moisture from his eyes. It took him a moment longer to form what little composure he could muster. It wasn't a lot, his hands were trembling as much as Michelle had been when he finally faced Carla.

"I killed Ronan."

The words rang around the room, there was silence as they waited for Carla to process the words, which she was having difficulty doing.

"What do you mean?" It might have been a daft question about a statement that clearly spoke for itself, but the older woman was sure it wasn't in the right context. "Wait, did you just not save him? Because that doesn't mean-"

"No, I don't mean that." He struggled with his breathing for a moment, trying to slow it down enough to continue. "I mean I saw him there, impaled on that fence post, I saw the gun in his car and I- I just- I pulled it out of him. Hard as I could." His jaw clenched, teeth clamping together and he dropped his head in his hands, letting out a shuddering sigh. It was strange, the relief of a confession, as though the crushing weight that he'd been forced to carry alone for day's was now shared between the three of them. But the panic that burned in the back of his throat was causing bile to rise. "I'm going to be sick." He jumped up from the sofa and flew over to the bathroom, the bang of the door coming only seconds before the sound of fetching.

Carla was sat in the stunned silence he'd left behind, her eyes growing wet with the shock. She looked up at Michelle, as though waiting for her to confirm. The hazel eyes in front of her had rarely looked so pained, so burdened, sparkling with tears as she gave a small nod. She offered no words, just held out her arms and allowed Michelle to shuffle into them.

"I'm sorry," the younger woman sniffed, tense against Carla's frame. Carla herself was trying to process her own thoughts, she didn't respond to Michelle verbally but kissed the top of her head.

Her nephew was a murderer? Okay, but why wasn't she scared? Why wasn't see jumping up to run to the police or bundling Michelle our of the flat away from him? It was a simple answer, one that she was terrified to admit: she understood. A man that had spend days terrorising her family, dying, having planned to possibly finish them off? Ryan had said himself he killed people who got on the wrong side of him. She could never know for sure what she'd have done if faced with that situation, maybe she wouldn't have done what Ali had, but would she have refused to help him? Let him die? Even hoped he would? Without a doubt.

"I should go to the police station." Both women turned around to see Ali emerging from the bathroom, his skin clammy, verging on green in the face. He was still trembling, his eyes pink from the tears he'd shed. He was reaching out for his coat.

"No, Ali. Don't." He looked shocked when Carla stood up, on the verge of stopping him from making a terrible mistake. "This never gets out. I won't say anything."

But he shook his head, backing further away from the pair of them. "No, I have to. I'm alive and he's dead, that's wrong. I should be allowed to just carry on as normal."

Carla followed him towards the door and took hold of his wrist, pulling him back. "That's exactly what you're going to do. Ali, your mum needs you." It was a low blow, emotional blackmail, using Michelle to get him to reconsider, but it did the trick. He allowed her to lead him back over to where the younger woman was sat and this time Carla didn't sit with her, but on the doctor's other side.

"It's okay saying this now, but one row, one disagreement and it'll all come spilling out."

"Ali, we would never do that to you." Michelle leant forward and took hold of his hand, clasping it in both of her own. "I swear to you."

"I don't blame you for doing what you did." Carla admitted to him, despite not being fully comfortable with the fact that she wasn't disgusted by it. "I understand why you did it. I think if I'd have been in the same situation, I'd have been tempted to do the same. I'm just not sure I'd have had the guts-"

"Please don't make out I was brave, what I did was one of the worst things you can do to another person."

"Ali, you're not the mindless criminal, _he_ was. He put you all in the situation that lead to his death." Carla could see the worry dancing across his face, the flicker of doubt in his eyes. He didn't fully trust her words, and why would he? It wasn't as though he knew much about her. She bit her lip, battling with the sudden internal conflict that had flared up on her sudden brainwave to get him to, for it could possibly be one of her most unwise decisions to date.

"You know, when I first came onto this street, I was married to your Uncle and he had the factory. I wanted my own business so badly, I was so power hungry, wanted to prove myself that I thought I'd start my own clothing line on the side." She began, the nerves already causing her stomach to tense. "I hired workers illegally, made them work all hours. They were exhausted."

"Carla, you don't have to do this." Michelle cut in, looking serious. She was touched at how far the other woman was prepared to go in order to help Ali, but she'd already done so much and she had a right to leave her past exactly there.

"It's fine, I want to, it's okay." Carla assured her, feeling able to continue. Being with Michelle meant that she'd often reflected on her past and, although she wasn't proud of a lot of the things she had done, she'd accepted that the person she'd been wasn't one she liked very much and had used this only to change herself for the better. It had been such a huge part of the reason for her struggles with not feeling enough but Michelle had showed her so much about love and acceptance that she felt able to talk about one of the things she was least proud of without it resulting in her relapsing back into any of her unhealthy habits.

"One of the workers fell down the stairs, she died instantly." Carla sighed, closing her eyes at the memory. "Paul and I covered it up. We didn't phone for an ambulance straight away, we made out she'd clocked in at the time his staff would and then we reported it as an accident. We swore your other Uncle to secrecy, he hated it, but we were family so he put up with it."

She chanced a glance up at him, a flutter of relief passing over her chest when he didn't look at her in disgust. He looked merely thoughtful, taking in her words, maybe even slightly confused.

"Anyway, I told you that because what I'm trying to say is I did that out of nothing but cowardice and selfishness. It was all for my own gain. I wish I could say I learnt a lesson but the amount of mistakes I've gone on to make should have probably landed me in the nick a good while ago." She bit her lip in contemplation, knowing that Michelle was probably aching to jump to her defence. She'd knew exactly what the younger woman would say, too; that she had been through so much, had the worst start in life, that she'd more than made up for her mistakes. Michelle had a kind heart, much like the man who was sat beside her, who seemed to want nothing more than to throw himself into the nearest prison cell.

"Ali, you're nothing like that. You do realise that you have probably saved so many lives now that Ronan can't take anymore?" Carla pointed out, trying to make him see some sort of balance. "Not only that," Her expression softened and she brought her hand up to his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "But you saved my family and I will be forever grateful to you."

The tears that were gathered in Ali's eyes spilled over and he shook his head, dropping back against the sofa. "It's the guilt, it's too hard to live with." He confessed, staring down at his lap to avoid eye contact with either of them. Michelle looked scared at his choice of words, she shot a fearful glance at Carla who looked just as concerned for his wellbeing. "I feel it all the time, in here." His hand was pressed flat against his chest. "I can't sleep, because it doesn't stop. I just want it all to end."

"It won't last forever." Michelle whispered, trying to take hold of his hand, but he refused to let her have it. "You remember what Robert shouted in the Bistro, don't you? About saving me from that bridge? It was just after- after I lost Ruairi." She paused for a second, forcing her voice to remain steady. She wasn't going to go to pieces, not when he needed her and not when she knew she could help him. "I felt like I couldn't carry on without him, I didn't want to. I sat on top of the bridge and all I wanted to do was throw myself off it. I wanted that pain to end."

Ali's head snapped up to look at her, he looked so heartbroken at her words, there were tears on his cheeks.

"Mum, you never told me." His voice was stained with the effort it was taking him not to succumb to his emotions. It was something Carla was struggling with too, heating Michelle speak about such a dark and hopeless point in her life. But she knew why she was telling it to him and so refrained from going over to her, ignored her instinct to wrap her up and soothe every sadness within her because Michelle had shown exactly the same restraint when Carla had been speaking to Ali. This was about helping him.

"It gets better, darling," Michelle whispered, bringing her hand up to rest on his cheek. "I got through it and you will, too. It just takes time. But I'm going to be here, okay? I'm going to help you."

He gave a small nod at her words and a flurry of tears escaped from his broken gaze and Michelle brushed them back, swallowing hard to keep her own at bay. The amount of strength she was displaying to keep herself composed was astounding. "I mean it, every night, every day, I'm going to be right here for you, I promise. You're not going anywhere. No one's taking you away, you're never leaving me again."

At those words, he unravelled completely, collapsing against her as the sons tore from his throat. Michelle looked relieved, relieved that he was finally releasing everything that had been pent up. She wound her arms tightly around her son, hushing him softly.

"It's okay, baby," She whispered, stroking over the back of his hair. "It's going to be okay."

Wiping swiftly beneath her eyes, Carla got up from where she'd been sat, deciding that Michelle and Ali needed a moment. She walked around the back of the sofa, pausing to press a lingering kiss on the top of her fiancées head, allowing her fingertips to brush over her silky hair before retiring to their bedroom. She suddenly felt exhausted, so could only imagine how drained Michelle must be feeling. Sitting herself down on the edge of the bed, she glanced around the room. They'd neglected it and it was showing. Although it was the last thing she felt like doing, she forced herself to her feet once more and began sorting through the mess.

The laundry basket was full by the time she'd finished sifting through clothes that had been strewn haphazardly on the carpet and she'd decided to change their bedding. She was just arranging the pillows when the door was pushed open, Michelle's much calmer face peering around the corner.

"What're you rattling around at- oh." She stepped further into the bedroom and glanced around, looking impressed. "Carla, you didn't have to do all of this on your own."

The older brunette moved swiftly towards her, cupping her face in her hands and pressing a longing kiss against her lips. "I am _so_ proud of you." She murmured, her words warm against the her fiancée's mouth. "You're a pillar of strength for those two lads, you amaze me, 'Chelle."

Michelle looked touched at her words, a smile forming across her lips, something she wasn't used to seeing on her face in the recent days. It was something she hadn't realised she'd missed until then.

"How's he doing?"

"He's crashed out on the sofa." Michelle sat down on the edge of the newly made bed, patting the space next to her.

"Really?" It wasn't news that he hadn't been sleeping much over the last few day's, none of them had. But, Carla now suspected after his confession, he probably had been doing the worst out of all of them.

"Yeah, he was just crying and crying, like he was never going to stop and then he just fell to sleep. Like a baby...My baby."

Carla smiled, tucking a strand of Michelle's hair behind her ear, prompting the younger woman to turn and face her. "You know, as soon as you found out you were having him, I just knew, I said you'd be such a good mum. Turns out you're the best."

Michelle tilted her head, a look of adoration across her face that was aimed directly at the woman opposite her.

"I think I might stay here with him, make sure he's alright when he wakes up."

Carla nodded, sliding her hand across the sheet and resting in on top of her fiancee's, who turned her palm up and weaved their fingers together.

"I can go and sit with Ryan for a bit, let you know he's alright." She offered, giving Michelle's hand a gentle squeeze.

She turned to face her once more, bringing herself forward until they were lightly resting against one another. "Thank you," Michelle whispered, opening her arms to silently beckon Carla into them. "You're absolutely amazing with Ali and Ryan, you know? I can't thank you enough. Especially for what you did today."

"You don't have to thank me, I'm always going to be there for them, you know?"

"I know Ryan jokes that you're his wicked step-mum and I know it's kind of complicated because he was your nephew and that's probably how you see him and Ali only came back into our lives recently so we've had to get to know him again and I don't know how you see him but, they both really look up to you." Michelle spoke quickly, as though worried about how Carla would take what she was insinuating. She was trailing her fingertips across her back as she spoke, tracing relaxing circles through the material of her top. "I suppose I just mean that, you're becoming sort of like a parent figure to them. Someone they can talk to, go to for help or advice. And I know you'd do right by them every time. You're the only person in this world I'd trust that to."

Carla knew how huge of a gesture that was, she knew how much Michelle loved her two sons, they were everything she lived for. The thought they might see her like that didn't scare her, not as it might have done before. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that they had already grown up and they got along so well, but Carla liked to think that they'd see her as approachable as Michelle was, for anything they needed. She sat up, clocking Michelle's worried gaze and reaching out to cup her cheeks, reassuring her with a smile.

"I would be so proud to have that significance in their lives, 'Chelle. I see parts of you in them all the time and to be able to look at the three of you and say this is my family, there's nothing that is ever going to be able to replace that feeling."

Michelle's lips were on hers the moment she'd finished speaking, her hands holding her face so gently, the pads of her thumbs brushing over her jawline, around the outline of her ear and Carla was responding just as lovingly. She wound her own hands into the other woman's hair, massaging then back of her head, enjoying the contact, the comfort that it brought to them both. They knew that they had harder times to come before things started to get even slightly better, but they'd left room for little doubt that they wouldn't be able to get through it.

 **IXIXIXI**

"So Ryan's allowed home tomorrow?" Carla grinned brightly, beckoning Michelle over to the sofa after she'd dumped a handful of shopping bags onto the counter and hung up her coat. She let out a sigh of relief when the younger woman confirmed, sliding the iPad, which she'd finally got around to fixing for Michelle, from her knee so she could lean up and greet her fiancée with a kiss.

"Yeah, he's ecstatic. Thanks for letting me take the car, mine should be mended soon." Michelle didn't join her on the sofa right away, but sauntered back over into the kitchen to begin putting away everything she'd purchased at Freshco's. "It's getting manic in there now it's nearing Christmas, two old women were in a fight over a turkey Wellington." She chuckled, her tone overly bright as she continued to stack away the groceries. Carla knew exactly the conversation she was putting off. Heaving herself from the sofa, she wandered over to the younger woman and pulled the tubs of yoghurt she was holding from her grasp, placing them back down onto the table and instead taking her hands.

"We're not calling it off, we're just postponing."

"You wanted to marry me before the year was out." Michelle whispered, refusing the look her in the eye. "And I wanted it too."

"I want to marry you tomorrow, in the next half hour, right now," Carla listed off with a gentle laugh, reaching out to tip her chin. "But I want our day to be perfect, I want everything to go right. Johnny and Jenny understand, it's not like they'd already got the catering in, is it? The bakery was happy enough for us to delay, we can still use the decorations, Kate and Maria have their dresses and we have more time to find our own."

Michelle swallowed, giving a reluctant nod. It was the right thing to do, ever since they'd become engaged, planning had been one stress after another in between everything else that had gone on. But it had been their one thing to look forward to, one of the things that was getting her through the rough nights she spent either at Ryan's bedside or on the sofa with Ali, who had been having recurring nightmares about what he'd done and had taken to staying up all night in order to avoid them. The first night she'd heard him, pacing, panting, trying to control his panic. Since then he'd tried to remain inconspicuous but every morning she'd found him either on the sofa or sat at the table, head in his hands, jumping from the light doze he'd slipped into at any sudden noise.

It was probably better to wait until she was back to getting a full nights sleep again, her days of putting on make up were few and far between and her hair had lost some of its shine. Although Carla had insisted over and over again that she was perfect either way, she didn't feel like herself and she was certain the amount of weight she'd lost from stress was making her look gaunt.

"You didn't have to do the shopping, at least not on your own." Carla sighed, rubbing a gentle hand over her back before beginning to help her fill the cupboards.

"I just wanted to do something useful, you've been so busy with everything." Michelle felt guilty, she hadn't felt much like eating, so cooking had fallen on her list of priorities, she couldn't remember the last time she'd picked up the hoover and as for responding to any client messages, her iPad had only been brought back to life thanks to Carla and she was dreading going through the backlog of messages. There were probably so many complaints, she was sure to be finished and even though in that moment she didn't care, she knew when she made it through the other side, she'd be even angrier with herself. With that thought in mind, she dragged herself over to the sofa and flopped down after she'd finished putting everything away, reluctantly picking up her device. It was still early, there was almost a full working day left for her to try and salvage anything of it.

"What're you doing?" Carla asked, her voice appearing suddenly over her shoulder as she leant against the back of the couch.

"I'm looking at what I've- hang on. Why is there a post saying I'm not accepting anymore clients?"

Carla looked shifty.

"Well, I just thought with everything that's been going on, the last thing you needed was a whole load of emails to rummage through so I figured best to let everyone know that you were 'fully booked' until further notice."

Michelle tried to force down the stab of irritation at the other woman's words; Carla had only been trying to help, and she was grateful.

"Oh, I could have done that myself though." Michelle shrugged, absentmindedly scrolling down the page. "Actually I needed to get in touch with that DJ for-"

"Done it." Carla cut across her, nudging Michelle's hand out of the way and opening a folder for the clients wedding, showing her the confirmation email.

"Why? That was for me to do."

"Don't worry, I can handle it."

Perhaps it was her choice of words that caused Michelle's temper to flare, as if she couldn't handle it, or maybe it was the lack of sleep or the events of the last couple of weeks that had stretched her to breaking point.

"Well I don't need you to handle it!" She snapped, snatching the iPad away from her fiancée, who was completely taken aback at her mood. "I'm capable of dealing with it myself!"

"Hey, I was only trying to help you. I know how tough things have been, I understand that but these clients won't, will they? They're going to expect you to provide a service, you can't just leave them-"

"Don't talk to me like I don't know how a business works! Just because you've been doing it longer, you don't have the monopoly on knowledge about how one is run!"

Carla folded her arms across her chest, resenting the tone the younger woman was using when speaking to her.

"I have enough knowledge to know this one was being run right into the ground!" She bit back, causing Michelle to rise to her feet in anger.

"Carla, not your job to interfere with my business!"

"Well excuse me for trying to make sure you had one to come back to."

"Give over, I've seen how smug you look!" Michelle scoffed, overly sensitive because she knew herself she hadn't been managing at all. She was blowing it way out of proportion but she couldn't seem to stop the anger from bursting out of her. "Walking around like it's all water off a ducks back, you just love the ego kick don't you? I bet you're thrilled to feel so needed, that for once I'm the disaster and you get to finally assuage your own insecurities and 'balance' out our relationship!"

The hurt that flashed across Carla's face didn't even register with her.

"I don't need a babysitter, this is _my_ business okay? Whether it fails or not, it's mine!"

God it had felt so good to scream, just in that moment, to hell with the consequences. The feeling lasted all of five seconds, five seconds of silence and that was all it took for Carla to swing her bag over her shoulder and leave the apartment.

It hit her then, the look across the other woman's face when she'd insinuated what she had, as though she could scarcely believe Michelle would deliberately choose to hurt her like that. It had been such a low blow.

 **IXIXIXI**

"Am I interrupting?" Michelle spoke uncertainly; she'd pushed the office door open after knocking three times, her eyes falling to where Carla had been hunched over her desk. She swivelled around to face Michelle, her eyebrow raised slightly as she took in the younger woman's unusually demure demeanour. She'd actually knocked, for starters, even though the blinds were open and she could see perfectly well that there was no meeting taking place, just herself and Peter staring at their respective computer screens, occasionally engaging in small talk.

Michelle was still stood in the doorway, clutching a white take out box from Roy's. She looked extremely guilty, her eyes wide and sorrowful as she met Carla's; like a scolded child who was sorry for their actions, wondering if they were now forgiven. It reminded Carla of the tactics Michelle used to pull when she was younger to get around Barry, she'd seen the exact same expression on her face after he'd told her off for sneaking into and hanging around the old lorry yard. She and Carla would leap across the ones that were lined up detached from their container boxes, purely for fun; some were parked more widely space which made the gaps from one to the other bigger, more daring. A couple of times it had resulted in scraped knees or other bumps and bruises and Barry would work out where they'd been and warn her that she wouldn't be allowed to play with Carla anymore, but she'd been forgiven every time courtesy of the expression she was currently aiming at Carla herself. Whether Michelle realised or it or not, her lips were set into a subtle, saddened pout and it caused the corner's of the older brunette's to twitched slightly. She quickly covered this with an eye roll and exasperated sigh.

"No, it's fine, come in."

"I'll take an early lunch," Peter was quick to excuse himself, which Carla had to give him credit for.

"He wasn't even working." Michelle scoffed as she watched him leave. "He was staring into space, chewing the end of his pen all the time I was chatting to Sean."

"Ooh, Michelle Connor, you grass." Carla smirked, "I thought you and him were on good terms, you know, after the whole kissing-and-making-up-with-flowers scene at the hospital?"

Michelle's nose scrunched in disgust at Carla's deliberate choice of words, knowing full well the older woman was trying to wind her up; she had one eyebrow raised, cockily, her arms folded across her chest.

"Yeah well I don't like that he's making your life a misery again." She murmured, situating herself on the edge of Carla's desk.

"Oh, hardly," Her fiancée laughed, using the tip of her boot to rock herself in her seat. "That implies he has enough significance. He's a mild inconvenience, is all."

"He still irritates me." Michelle mumbled, frowning across at the seat he'd just vacated. "Even when you were together, he just used to grate on me." There was a pause after she'd finished speaking, it was only when Carla responded with silence that Michelle looked up at her and caught her with that same smirk, arms folded.

"Did he now?" She grinned, biting her lip at the way Michelle cleared her throat awkwardly and searched for something else to say. "Why was that, then?"

"Just the way he lorded it over me." She shrugged picking at the sleeve of her coat, removing imaginary specks off flint from the black wool.

"Mm-hmm. That all?" Carla pressed, enjoying watching the younger woman's internal conflict, a frown forming across her slightly flushed face as she seemed to struggle with her feelings.

"I didn't like him with you." She admitted, before looking up hurriedly. "But only because he wasn't good enough for- will you _stop_ smirking at me like that?"

The older woman let out a gleeful cackle at her success in winding her up. She gripped hold of the edge of the desk to pull her chair closer and once she was within reach, allowed her hands to rest lightly in Michelle's lap. "So, what did you want?"

Having been so caught up in the other woman's tormenting, Michelle had forgotten for a moment exactly why she'd stepped into the office in the first place. With a jolt of realisation, she wrapped her own hands around Carla's, giving them a gentle squeeze. "I came to apologise to you. I'm sorry for what I said. I shouldn't have implied you were enjoying all of this uproar, I know you're not." She sighed, lightly brushing her thumb over the back of the other woman's hand. "And I shouldn't have thrown your insecurities in your face like that. It was really nasty of me and I'm mortified I made out you were getting an ego kick. I didn't mean it. It was beyond uncalled for, I behaved horribly and you didn't deserve it at all. I'm really sorry that I hurt you."

It was so heartfelt, Carla knew she meant it with every bit of her. She hadn't bustled in with a simple 'sorry' and expected the argument to be forgotten, Michelle had clearly taken the time to reflect on what she'd said, thought about exactly what it was that had hurt her and understood how it had done so. The younger woman had been right, it had hurt, but right now Carla couldn't feel any more assured. Having straight out admitted that she was wrong, without trying to make a single excuse for herself, it was evident just how much Michelle respected her and it sometimes amazed Carla how _healthy_ the relationship they'd developed was. It wasn't something she was used to.

"Thank you," she whispered, now tracing her own fingertip over the back of Michelle's hand. "for apologising, I really appreciate it. It did hurt but I do understand how much stress you've been under. You've not been eating or sleeping properly, either. I get you weren't really thinking straight and I know you didn't mean it."

"You're forgiving me?"

"Well, I might have to think about that one." Carla teased, letting go of her hand so she could reach beneath her chin, coaxing her down to capture her lips in a gentle kiss. Michelle responded happily, winding her hand into the back of her hair so she could hold her closer.

"I really don't know what I'd do without you, Carla. You've looked after me and the boys all while running this place." The younger brunette murmured, dotting more brief kisses against her lips as she spoke. "You don't realise how amazing you are." Reaching to the side of her, she plucked the box she'd brought in with her and set it in Carla's lap, who looked up at her confused.

"It's for you. But I wanted to apologise properly first, so it didn't look like I was buying you off." She shrugged.

"With a cake from Roy's?" Carla chuckled, though soon stopped short when she flipped the lid and caught eye of its contents. "Michelle?"

There wasn't a single item of confectionary from the cafe. Instead there was a second box; a deep blue leatherette rectangular one with a silver trim. Michelle was biting her lip, she looked as she had when first appearing in the office doorway; almost shy, her hands clasped in anticipation. "Open it then." She encouraged, nodding to where Carla's fingertips had frozen in mid air. The other woman reached down and used her thumb to pry open the lid. It wasn't often Carla was lost for words, her mouth falling open as she laid eyes upon the contents. Nestled on a bed of velvet was possibly one of the most stunning necklaces she'd ever seen. It was a delicate white gold chain and hanging from it, a deep blue oval sapphire, framed in a halo of diamonds. It was precisely cut so that glorious flashes of light emanated from within each gem when she tilted the box to get a closer look.

"I was going to give it to you just before our wedding day. You know, something new and blue." Michelle spoke softly, resting her hand on Carla's arm, who seemed to be frozen. "But with us postponing, I wanted you to have it now." She let go of her arm and gently tucked her fingertips beneath her chin, raising Carla's gaze from the piece of jewellery. "I really am so grateful. I hope you know, I do realise just how lucky I am to have you."

Opening her mouth to speak, Carla was searching frantically for the right words. She allowed herself another peek down at her lap, stroking a careful finger over the necklace. "'Chelle, you really didn't- Oh, it's so beautiful, so beautiful."

Michelle picked up the jewellery box, discarding the one Roy had let her take to the bin beneath the desk. Wordlessly, she took the chain from its cushioned confines and her fiancée took the cue to reach behind her and gather her hair to one side. It made the task a lot easier for Michelle, who was able to fasten the necklace effortlessly around her neck.

"Just like you." The younger brunette was unable to refrain leaning in and brushing her lips along Carla's exposed skin once she'd done the clasp, hearing the gentle sigh she emitted at the sensation. Carefully, Michelle swivelled the chair around so she could see her. "I knew it'd look good on you." She dipped her hand into bag, pulling out the small cosmetic mirror that she carried, before sliding into her lap.

Carla welcomed her in straight away, wrapping one arm around her waist and kissing the side of her head as Michelle flipped the mirror open and held it out in front of the other brunette. Carla raised her other hand to stroke over the glittering jewel, a beaming grin forming across her face.

"God, it really is gorgeous. 'Chelle, thank you," Carla turned her head and kissed her again, lingering for a moment before allowing Michelle to settle against her, resting the chin at the top of her head.

"This is all I'll ever need," Michelle murmured quietly, winding a strand of Carla's chestnut hair around her finger as she spoke. "It's more than enough, you know? I feel so safe with you, it's something that only you can give me. It's like, when you're here, everything feels like it's going to be alright."

"That's because it is, trust me."

"I do."

They were silent then, for a while. It was almost like they'd forgotten that they were right in the middle of a working day, crammed together on one of the office chairs with the steady hum of machinery and muffled, idle chatter in the background. Michelle had her eyes closed, melting further into Carla when she began to stroke her hair, basking in the kind of comfort only she could bring her. Her eyes only opened again at Carla's gentle hum of laughter. The other woman had a bemused smile across her face, staring off into the distance at nothing in particular.

"What're you thinking about?"

"I'm so glad you were leathered that night and decided to plant one on me."

"Carla!" Michelle joined in with the laughter, nuzzling into her before growing semi-serious. "Do you think things would be different if I hadn't?"

"No, I think we'd have ended up here somehow. This is exactly where we're supposed to be." Carla spoke carefully, choosing her words with thought. She believed them, even if she couldn't quite picture how things might have happened differently.

"I wish we'd have had it just a little easier." Michelle frowned, thinking back upon the whirlwind that had been the last eight months. They'd run into one disaster after another, had their relationship tried from all angles; family, their own selves, unstable ex partners, their current position was just one of the many times fate seemed to try and intervene.

"When has the world ever made anything easy for us, babe?"

"True." Michelle scoffed, though calmed slightly when Carla's hand returned to her hair, as though the other woman had realised she was in danger of winding herself up and was reminding her to relax. "I suppose after everything, I'm just sick of being tested."

"Ah, but do you remember what the teacher's used to tell us in school about tests? To try and justify them throwing exams at us before Christmas." Carla wrinkled her nose at her school memories, they weren't exactly years she looked back on too fondly. "'They're not tests, they're an indication of how much you've learned over the year, Miss Donovan'" She imitated her former tutor down to the word. Granted, when such examinations were academical, it always turned out that Carla hadn't really grasped hold of a lot. She liked to think she performed very differently when life was doing the testing. "Do you want to know what I've learned?"

Michelle glanced up at her curiously, wondering where she was going with the analogy.

"That we are infinitely stronger together than we are apart. Between you and me, there's absolutely nothing that we can't get through."

The younger woman's expression instantly softened and she stretched out her hand, resting her fingertips against her fiancée's cheek, brushing a gentle thumb over her cheekbone.

"Carla," She whispered, catching her gaze as she moved in, resting her forehead against the other brunette's.

"Go on, tell me how much you love me," Carla teased her, guessing exactly what the next words on her mouth would have been.

"Ridiculous amounts." Michelle murmured, gently nudging their noses together. "So much, I don't know what to do with it all."

They moved in together, connecting their lips in a firm kiss. Neither pulled away this time, Carla caught the younger woman's lower one between her own and they continued to work against one another until her lips parted and the tip of her tongue met Michelle's, causing her to whimper in approval. Carla felt the shiver that cascaded down her spine, her grip tightening in the younger brunette's hair.

"Why don't you send those lot for an early dinner, too?" Michelle suggested breathlessly, after they'd finally pulled away.

"Oh, are you hungry?"

Michelle made a point of raking her eyes over Carla's frame, drinking her in. They lingered longer where the necklace was resting against her chest and she stroked her fingertip against the ridge of her collarbone. When she finally met the green hues that bore into her, she saw they were darkened, even under the office lights.

"I'm ravenous."

Grinning, they both scrambled up from the chair. Carla threw open the office door to call to her workforce while Michelle took it upon herself to start closing the blinds.

"Right, you lot! Early lunch, you can take an extra half hour if you're all up and out of here within the next thirty seconds."

Absolutely no one in that room needed telling twice. The hum of machinery stopped so suddenly it was jarring and there was a mad dash as everyone began to gather their coats, wrapping themselves up warm as they prepared to head out into the icy winter air. Beth looked like she wanted to question Carla's surprising generosity, a frown crossing her face as she walked by them. She opened her mouth, probably to voice that very question but was stopped by Sean, who gave her a sharp nudge and ushered her towards the exit. Whether just eager for his lunch and worried Carla would change her mind, or whether he suspected the reason for their early dart, he didn't pause to subject them to any kind of interrogation himself. Satisfied that the factory floor was deserted, she closed the office door and locked it, leaving her key in place and sliding the bolt across for added security.

Michelle was on her the second she'd turned around, pressing her body flush against the door she'd just come through and attacking her with fierce kisses, which Carla responded to with just as much fire.

"An extra half hour?" The younger woman smirked, her hand was already working its way beneath the hem of Carla's shirt, grazing over her heated skin. "Someone's feeling optimistic."

"Mm, well," The older brunette tried to articulate between the pressure of Michelle's mouth against her own. She placed her hands firmly on her fiancées waist and began to guide her backwards, towards the chair they'd only recently vacated. Carla pushed her down into it, wasting no time in hooking her leg over her lap to straddle her, pressing her frame against Michelle's once more. "You're not the only one with an appetite, today."

 **IXIXIXI**

Thank goodness the day was over. It was always a mad dash towards Christmas to get out the orders but, somehow, they'd made it. With only a few day's left until Christmas itself, Carla was going to welcome the much needed break. As she pushed her keys into the lock and entered the apartment, she stopped short. For a split second, she wondered madly if she'd completely stepped into the wrong home.

The place was shimmering. Garlands of tinsel had been strung over the fireplace and around the photo frames, Christmas cards were cluttering every surface, fairy lights twinkled in the window along with a candle bridge and a hideous looking Father Christmas, grinning with teeth that were too white against his round, pink face. It felt like she'd walked right into the middle of Santa's grotto. It looked sickeningly lovely.

"Hi!" Michelle grinned brightly from the kitchen when she stepped further into the room, still taking in the festive decorations, noticing that the door she'd just come through had a frosted wreath, glittering with jewelled berries attached to the back of it. The place was ridiculously cosy and she welcomed the warmth after being in the crisp December air. The cobbles had already started to glitter with frost when she'd began her journey home. A huge chunk of the heat was probably owing to the fact that the oven was on and the smell emanating from the kitchen made her mouth water. It was something rich, a combination of spices she thinks she might vaguely remember from the Bistro.

"Hey, you." Carla broke into a grin at the sight of her, apron fastened around her waist, her hair pulled up onto the top of her head. "What's all this?" She chuckled, pulling gently on her apron to bring her closer.

"Well, I thought we'd get into the festive spirit." She shrugged, reaching into the front pocket and pulling a sprig of mistletoe from it, holding it triumphantly over her head as she cleared her throat. "It's bad luck not to kiss the person you meet under the mistletoe."

"Well we wouldn't want to risk that, would we?" Carla smirked, wrapping her arms around the younger woman's waist and sealing the remainder of the distance between them. She worked her lips affectionately against Michelle's, all for deepening the kiss until a groan sounded from within the corner of the living room.

"Pack it in." Ryan droned, sounding bored and thoroughly over the constant displays of affection. His voice had made Carla jump, she hadn't even noticed him, stood in the only part of the flat that wasn't lit up, courtesy of a fluffy Christmas tree, it's branches currently being wrestled into position by her nephew. "There!" He stepped away from it, holding his hand out as if to display his work. "Is that better?"

"Hmm," Michelle tilted her head to one side, then the other, scrutinising the position of the false, festive plant. "It still doesn't look completely straight."

" _You_ don't look completely straight." Ryan fired back, childishly, his nose wrinkling in humour as he nodded over to the pair, who were still wound around one another.

Carla let out a bark of laughter, letting go of Michelle so she could assist her nephew. "That's because she's fancied me for years."

"Give over! You liked me first." Michelle shot back playfully, abandoning her apron and joining the other two, who had decided that the tree was good enough and were now rifling through the box of decorations.

"You kissed me first." The older brunette taunted, picking up one of the decorative gold bows and placing it on top of her fiancée's head.

"I'll be puking first if you don't behave! Do you have to flirt? You're already together."

It turned out there was quite a few more decorations than needed; a rainbow of metallic baubles, miniature bronze cherubs, swirling, pearly white icicles, more of the golden bows and a whole set of pretty wooden reindeer, one of them embellished with a glittery red nose. There was even more tinsel, which Carla and Ryan almost caused an accident with when they tried to wind it around one another, almost toppling over into the tree.

"Careful!" Michelle warned, though chuckled at the sight of the pair.

"You're the one who needs to be careful, can I smell burning?"

"Oh God!" Michelle suddenly dashed across to the kitchen, fiddling with the dial on the oven. She peered through the display window and let out a sigh of relief, looking smug when she realised her dish was completely unspoiled.

"What's she making?" Carla asked, continuing to sort through the decorations; tossing the broken ones into a smaller box which was to be thrown away.

"Some sort of lamb casserole, but she's tried to posh it up." Ryan shrugged, reaching up into the box with a grin and holding up what looked like a crumbling, stone star. "Hey! I didn't know you'd saved this!"

"It's _not_ a casserole, it's lamb _sauté."_ She corrected, tutting at her son as she took the decoration from him, smiling down at it fondly. He'd made it in nursery; stamped the shape out of salt dough and painted it silver once it had hardened, before going on to dump a load of glitter onto it. Most of it had fallen off now and the paint was flaking, but scratched into the back in large, shaking letters were the words _TO MUM LOVE RYAN XXX_. It hung from a piece of red ribbon and Michelle had hooked it onto every tree she'd ever decorated since.

"Well excuse me," Ryan rolled his eyes, shaking his head at her correction. "Seriously, what's wrong with bangers and mash?"

"This was one of the most popular dishes when I worked at the Bistro!" Michelle defended, seizing hold of the end of the Christmas lights that Carla had offered out to her, while she attempted to untangle the rest of the clumped up wire. "Here's an idea, maybe _you_ could cook once in a while?"

"Why don't we put some Christmas music on?" Carla piped up quickly, before the two could start properly squabbling. Suddenly reminded, Michelle whipped around towards the other bedroom, as though expecting someone to emerge.

"We were doing that, Ali said he'd grab a speaker."

"Oh yeah, where's he got to?" Ryan frowned, taking a breath before bellowing across the room. "Oi, Ali?" When silence followed, he shouted again. " _Alexander!"_

Almost instantly, the Doctor appeared in the doorway, throwing a scowl in Ryan's direction. There was still a rift between them; Ali went about it by trying to ignore his presence as much as possible and Ryan's way of going about patching things up seemed to be by trying to wind him up.

"Don't call me that, you muppet." He frowned, placing the speaker he'd carried from the bedroom unceremoniously beside the television. Carla hadn't failed in noticing how drawn he looked, he was in a similar state to how Michelle had been only a couple of weeks prior; pale, a little too thin for his frame, his eyes sunken slightly. She glanced over to her fiancée, whose own were concerned and saddened at his withered appearance.

"I had to sort out the music, you don't half listen to some rubbish, Ryan." He rolled his eyes, fiddling the the buttons impatiently.

"Hey, I'm the musician. When I start lecturing you on the appropriate ways to treat gout, then we'll start chatting."

He offered nothing in response, just set the Christmas playlist to shuffle and flopped down on the sofa, peering disinterestedly into one of the boxes containing tree decorations.

Michelle had excused herself back to the kitchen to finish cooking, leaving Ryan and Carla to wrestle with the long rope of lights.

"We should have tested them first, what if we've just spent all that time putting them on and they don't work?"

Letting out a groan, Carla seized hold of the plug and mentally crossed her fingers when she slid it into the socket. The tree lit up magnificently, multi coloured lights twinkling within the branches and casting the corner of the room in rainbow hues. She clapped Ryan on the back, asking him to make a start on the baubles while she continued to plough through the box. Inconspicuously, Carla sauntered around the back of the sofa where Ali was sat, leaning in close so he'd be able to hear her over the overly joyous music.

"Hey, are you alright?" She spoke softly, lightly gripping his shoulders.

He gave a small nod, but didn't speak, he was clutching a tiny snow globe that he'd plucked from the cardboard box, staring at the flecks of snow which whirled over a miniature village trapped inside the glass. Absentmindedly, he flipped on the switch at its base and the minuscule windows lit up, bringing the fictional place to life.

"'Chelle's so excited that you're spending Christmas here, she's been going on about it for days." Carla informed him, pressing the side of her head against his. "She can't believe she finally gets to have a Christmas with you, y'know? It's a hard time, even harder this year but you being here is going to make her so happy."

He turned to face her, pleased by her words even though the half smile he managed didn't quite reach his eyes.

"We love you, even if you are the sulkiest so-and-so we've ever come across." She teased him lightly, planting a brief kiss to the side of his head before straightening herself up, tapping his shoulders encouragingly. "Come on, help us decorate the tree."

"Is it really a four person job?" Ali quipped, raising his eyebrow sceptically.

"No, it's a _family_ job."

The tree had to be dragged a little away from the corner so they could all get around it and to no one's surprise, it was Carla who seemed to have the biggest obsession with ornament placement. She kept berating Michelle for placing too much of the same colour in one place and removed three of Ryan's embellished snowflakes straight after he'd placed them onto the branches before he sighed in annoyance and dusted his hands over her head, effectively shaking all the glitter that had come off the decorations into her hair.

Even after they all stood back to admire their work, she'd dipped from the line to rearrange a candy cane and adjust the filigree golden star that was, in her opinion, sagging slightly at the top of the tree. She shoved if further down onto the top branch, lodging it firmly in place which stopped its ominous wobble.

"This might be the best tree I've ever had, you've got a good eye for this kind of thing babe." Michelle commented, nodding impressively at what was easily the star of the show, completing the grotto that Michelle had transformed the apartment into. "You've always been good at that interior design stuff."

"Ah, yes," Ryan nodded sarcastically, trying to keep the grin from his face. "I suppose when you're in the knicker business, you're constantly thinking about folks' _interiors."_ He sassed, having to duck quickly when Carla took a swipe at him.

"Er, are you missing that hospital food or something Ry? I can send you back if you'd like?"

 **IXIXIXI**

"Do you think Johnny and Jenny will mind that we haven't gone to their Christmas Eve do?" Michelle asked, glancing up at Carla. She was stretched out across the sofa, head leaning against the other woman's chest while she stroked her hair absentmindedly. They were watching one of the many cheesy movie channels that seemed to surface around the time of year, but neither were taking much interest in the movie that was playing to itself. They'd been curled on the sofa together since both Ali and Ryan had put aside their differences for one evening to go out together. Michelle suspected that the former had only gone to drown his sorrows, but they seemed to be making headway's with him. He'd stated eating again and Ryan hadn't mentioned anything about hearing him wandering about in the night.

"I don't see why they would, we're going to their Christmas party tomorrow, aren't we?" Carla was absentmindedly toying with her hand, stroking along each of her fingers, turning it over so she could make gentle circles over her palm. The only light in the room came from the ones that were dotted around the window and drizzled around the tree. When she met Michelle's gaze, she could see the multicoloured stars reflected in them. She carried on staring, her hand leaving Michelle's and instead cupping the younger woman's cheek, brushing a gentle thumb over her her skin.

"What?" Michelle whispered softly, lightly biting on her lower lip. It was stained purple, the two of them had broken into the bottle of expensive Argentinian Malbec that Carla had purchased from Kate at the Bistro, which was currently being run by an acting manager; her sister had informed her that whoever had bought the place still hadn't bothered to grace them with their presence but had sent up someone who Kate described as a sanctimonious bimbo.

Michelle was still looking at her, studying her features as she waited for her to speak, trying to read her expression.

"I know we didn't get married, but, this is our first Christmas together, the first one of all the rest." She murmured, lightly tipping her chin. "I never expected it to feel so perfect."

The younger woman sat up, forgoing any kind of verbal response and instead pushing her lips up against Carla's, capturing them in a longing kiss. It deepened as she moved to straddle the older brunette, settling herself in her lap while the first brush of her tongue caused goosebumps to erupt down her arms.

Carla's hand tangled into her hair, holding her firmly into place as her hand crept down the front of the black satin night gown that Michelle was wearing. She should have known exactly what the younger woman's intentions had been for the night.

"Mm, 'Chelle-" Carla broke the kiss, ignoring her whimper of disappointment and instead uttering the word that eradicated the feeling completely. "Bedroom."

The last thing they needed was to be caught in the middle of the living room: nothing would spoil Christmas like a healthy dose of trauma followed by a new year stint in therapy, which is exactly what they would all need if anyone was to return home early. Michelle jumped to her feet and resumed kissing the other woman the moment Carla had got to her own, taking the lead and tugging her fiancée into their bedroom.

Carla felt herself being eased back against the pillows and her vision was obscured by a curtain of floral scented hair. Michelle's lips descended on her neck and she let out a soft gasp at the sensation, already able to feel a tightness in her stomach.

"Please, 'Chelle," Carla heard herself murmur, her muscles tensing when the younger woman's warm hand snakes beneath the hem of her vest top, trailing towards her chest. It was ridiculous, how amazing the intimacy between them was. There wasn't any hesitation, nerves had long gone and they just knew exactly what the other one needed. It always entranced Michelle, the way Carla would react to even the simplest of touches, all she had to do was lean down and brush her lips against that part of her collarbone and-

"I need you."

Those were her second favourite three little words that left Carla's lips.

Not for the first time, the older brunette wondered if they were actually in any real danger of receiving any sort of noise complaint. Although there hadn't been time to debate on it for too long because Michelle had ensured her focus was solely on the way she could use her mouth to draw out the waves of pleasure that erupted over her body and spiked every nerve ending. She had one hand fisted in the festive bedding that the younger woman had purchased and she was thinking it was a shame that they probably wouldn't be in any fit state to sleep in afterwards.

"You know," Carla panted, her hair fanned our against the pillow as she came down from the brilliant high. Michelle was beside her, half on her still, her arm wound around her waist, one of her legs hooked across her hip. "You're really good at that. Every time you finish I feel like I should give you a high five."

"Your pillow talk makes less sense the harder I make you-"

Carla cut her off with a kiss, a happy grin across her face when she pulled back. "I just mean, who'd have thought we'd be _this_ good at it, like, we really do make a good team don't we?" Her eyes were bright, cheeks still flushed with the exertion of pleasure and strands of hair stuck to her face where her skin was damp with perspiration.

"Should I wait until your brain cells are less scattered to answer?" Michelle was struggling to contain her amusement, but she was completely besotted by this version of the other woman. She held her closer, her fingertips trailing along her side, the tip of her nail tracing patterns against her skin.

Carla murmured incoherently, dipping forward so that her forehead was leaning against Michelle's. "You had this planned from the start, didn't you?"

"You're going to have to be more specific, from the start of where? I promise you when we first met I wasn't thinking about how I was going to spend Christmas Eve of twenty-eighteen ripping off your clothes."

Carla let out a hum of laughter, coming to her senses slightly now that her head was drifting down from the clouds. "I mean from the start of tonight."

"You've got me there," Michelle admitted, inching closer to her, although there was barely any room between them. Her hand left Carla's side and she cupped her face, the pad of her thumb stroking a swooping crescent from her brow to her cheekbone. "I was thinking about it when we were wrapping presents, that's why I nearly sliced my finger off with the scissors. I was thinking about how ironic it would be to make you scream to 'silent night.'"

"Is that what you do? Just 'think' our sex life into existence?" Carla smirked, raising an accusatory eyebrow. "Is that how we ended up here in the first place? Were you just sat _thinking_ about how you wanted to leap over the bar and ravish me?"

They both chuckled, the sound sleepy and content. Michelle continued to caress her skin, the look in her eye was causing the older brunette's heart to flutter. She'd spent years watching her love with everything she had but nothing had prepared her for how it would feel to be on the receiving end of it all.

"I've never known anyone as beautiful as you."

Carla swallowed, she'd felt the warmth of the words against her lips when Michelle had spoke them.

"I know someone." Mirroring the younger woman's actions, she reached out and held her cheek, her mouth a hairsbreadth away from Michelle's. It was quiet for a moment, until a very distant eruption of cheer sounded from somewhere outside. It was just after midnight.

"Merry Christmas," Carla whispered, their lips brushing slightly as she spoke.

"Merry Christmas, Carla."

 **IXIXIXI**

"'Chelle,"

The younger brunette mumbled sleepily, turning away from the intrusion as she attempted to tug the duvet further over her shoulders, huddling into the warmth.

"'Chelle, come on, wake up." Carla called a little louder, hovering over her with a grin on her face. "Did I tire you out last night?" She took hold of the cover that Michelle has just pulled over her body and slid it down slightly, exposing her bare shoulder once more before leaning down to scatter kisses over her warm skin.

"Mmm, keep doing that and I might contemplate it." Her voice was hoarse with sleep, a sound she was familiar with but it still brought a fond smile to her lips, which she was now trailing over her neck.

"I've got something for you." Carla whispered, following the line of her jaw, until she was lingering by her mouth. "But you'll have to wake up to see what it is."

Michelle's eyes finally flickered open, blinking to get used to the dim light from the lamp Carla had switched on in her attempts to gently rouse her. She tilted her head slightly and her lips collided with the older brunette's, extracting her arms from the confines of the covers and pulling Carla over her. It was almost new again, morning's like this, they'd been few and far between over the recent weeks and Michelle never wanted to go that long without them again.

"Merry Christmas." There was a rustle as Carla broke the kiss and placed a gift back beside Michelle, she was sat up fully but still straddling the younger woman's body.

"Why don't you get under here with me and make it even merrier?" Michelle smirked, reaching out and trailing her hand down the fold of the dressing gown Carla had wrapped around her body. She was attempting to pull it apart, but the other woman stopped her, shaking her head in mock disapproval.

"You're very tempting," she began, stroking a fingertip down her chest, "but, unfortunately for both of us, I need you to get dressed."

Michelle raised her brow, peeling back the corner of the duvet and pulling the covers away from herself completely, despite the cold that suddenly assaulted her skin. "Are you sure?"

Carla swallowed visibly, battling with herself to keep her eyes fixed firmly on Michelle's, which were shining mischievously. Carla grit her teeth, mentally cursing her own weakness when they dipped down of their own accord, ignoring the triumphant little laugh that came from the other woman.

Carla distracted herself by picking up the gift bag once more and shook it at Michelle encouragingly. The other woman eye'd her suspiciously, dipping her hand into the red tissue paper.

"Put those on, I won't be a minute."

She left her on that, confused and rifling through the contents while she crept out onto the dark landing. Ali was awake, that's who'd woke her up in the first place. She could hear the taps in the bathroom and was pleased to see the gift bag she'd left for him and been opened, the contents removed from inside. About to tap on Ryan's door, he suddenly appeared from behind it, looking groggy, hungover, his hair sticking up on end. He was wearing a tattered t shirt and boxers, and Carla placed her hand on his chest to push him straight back into his room.

"Nope, get changed. Where's the present I gave you?"

"I can't wear that! I'll look like a right clown." He groaned, though he wasn't in any state to argue.

"No more than usual then." Carla smirked, pinching his cheek and easing him through the door again. Satisfied that they were all going to listen to her, she dipped back into her own bedroom and found that Michelle had finally dressed, looking completely perplexed.

"Oh you look adorable." The older woman's chuckle caused her to glance up sceptically from where she'd been grimacing at her clothing.

"Carla, are you feeling alright?" She frowned, clocking her fiancée's wicked grin once more. Michelle was dressed in red and white striped pyjamas, patterned with a festive fairisle print, snowflakes and reindeer printed across the strips in alternate colours. They were finished off with white cuffs which fitted them flatteringly to her figure and, even though she was currently turning her nose up at them, they _were_ comfortable.

Without answering, Carla tugged at the tie of the long dressing gown she'd bundled herself up in and allowed it to slide from her shoulders. She suddenly wished she had a camera to snap the look on Michelle's face. The younger woman was still for a moment, her face frozen in a bemusement, mouth hanging open before she let out a howl of laughter, collapsing back down onto the bed.

"Carla!" Her fiancée was wearing the exact same pair, the cheesiest smirk across her face, nose scrunched as she moved to join Michelle, lightly placing herself in her fiancées lap while sliding her arms around her neck. She tried to contain her laughter for a couple of seconds in order to steal a kiss, but was still giggling even as they met.

"Come on, wait until you see the lads." Carla winked at her, sliding from her lap and taking her hands. It was still dark in the main room, so both women busied themselves in flipping on the Christmas lights. The sounds of two sets of doors opening caught their attention as Ali finally left the bathroom and Ryan emerged once more, somehow having managed to not pass out. They stopped short as they met one another, looking confused. Ryan's face was scrunched in disgust and when he caught sight of his mum and Carla on the sofa he jumped back in horror.

"No. No way!" He protested, while the two women hooted with laughter. Michelle actually had tears on her face, she was clutching hold of her sides and gasping for breath. Both of her sons were in the navy version of the pyjamas she and Carla had on and Ryan was glancing back towards the bedroom as though debating whether to dash back in. "This is ridiculous! You've gone soft in the head, Aunty Carla, and you," he paused turning to face Michelle, "have been watching way too many of those Hallmark movies." He was stood with his arms folded, looking like an overgrown toddler in his get up which if nything, made his rage all the more hilarious.

"They suit you both!" Carla nodded, shifting up so that they could also seat themselves. Ali was yet to protest about his outfit, he didn't look like he minded but then he wasn't looking particularly joyous. He played along probably for the sake of Michelle.

"Can we get a photo?"

"Is there an age restriction for Childline?" Ryan quipped, slumping down next to Carla with a surly frown.

In the end it was Ali who had to take the picture, his arms were the longest and they were all able to cram themselves into frame. Carla thanked him when he passed the phone back to her and she sent it to their family group chat.

"Hey, just wait until you see Johnny and Jenny!" She chuckled and as if on cue, her dad had sent his own photo in response to her message.

"Oh my God, did you get those?" Michelle gasped over her shoulder, covering her mouth with her hand. The photo contained a sleepy looking Johnny and Jenny, both of them dressed in stark red onesies that depicted them as 'Mr and Mrs Clause'. "No way did you get him to put that on!"

It was Kate and Rana's turn after that. Both striped leggings and green tops; two elves looking mildly amused at the camera. They all hunched over the chat for a moment, laughing over the family photos and wishing one another 'Merry Christmas'. It was only when Ryan reminded them that they had presents to open that they finally came away from the messages.

It was a bittersweet feeling, as Michelle busied herself in the kitchen, mixing champagne with breakfast juice to take to them all. As far a Christmas went, there'd been times on the Street where she hadn't at all felt like celebrating. But in that moment, in the decked out apartment with its hazy glow and the soft piano notes of carol's that played in the background, two sons and her fiancée balling up wrapping paper and throwing it to one another, her heart was conflicted. There was one heart that wouldn't be here this Christmas and she knew it was playing on Carla's mind too. She'd caught the other woman's wistful glances at the photo on the fire place; a candle next to the frame which had now been lit, it was as if she was nodding over to Aidan, trying to let him know he hadn't been forgotten. As if any of them ever could.

Ryan was sprawled out on the floor now, inspecting the expensive Bluetooth headphones he'd just opened in awe and Ali was distracted be the message he'd just received on his phone, a present half unwrapped in his lap.

"Hey, are you alright?" Michelle asked softly as she went to sit beside Carla, sliding an arm around her waist. She kissed the side of her head, lingering there for a moment before meeting her eyes, offering her a meaningful smile.

"Yeah, I'm okay. It's strange isn't it?" It might have been a vague comment, but she knew the younger woman understood. It always felt odd, odd that so much of their family was missing, odd that yet another year had gone by. Odd, in a good way, that they were spending this one together in a way they never had before.

"Yeah, it's strange." Michelle agreed, leaning in to capture her lips in a soft kiss. They simply watched at first, happy to sit close together, Carla's head against Michelle's shoulder, hands entwined, surveying the boys' reactions to the gifts they'd received. They'd collaborated that year, Ryan thanked them both for the headphones and Ali had abandoned his phone to unwrap the high quality, black leather briefcase; the one he'd used as a medical student had become worn. It was a reinforced message that the two had every confidence he'd qualify after completion of his training.

"You'll have to open those at the same time, they're the same." Michelle nodded to the neatly wrapped box in Ryan's hand, who rummaged through the pile and found the matching one, passing it to Ali.

"Ah, nice one!"

"We were fed up of hearing you bickering over you stealing Ali's aftershave." Carla teased, having bought them both a replacement bottle. "So now you've no excuse to argue, right?"

They shot one another a sceptical look, but didn't contradict her.

"Here," Michelle nudged Carla lightly, pressing a small box in her hands. It was wrapped in white paper decorated with silver snowflakes and had a silver bow on top.

"You already got me that necklace," Carla protested, but Michelle shook her head.

"That was a pre-wedding gift."

Carla unwrapped the gift neatly and when another jewellers box came into view, she wondered exactly how much Michelle had decided to splurge on her this time. There was a raised circular platform and wound around it was a delicate, silvery chain link bracelet, and weaved through it what looked like deep blue ribbon. Michelle was biting her lip and Carla couldn't understand why she looked so unsure until she reached beneath the cushion of the box and pulled out a photo. It was a fairly recent Polaroid, definitely one from within the last couple of years. Carla and Aidan with their arms around one another, grinning in the factory, probably after sealing a deal.

"I cleared the idea with Johnny, he really liked it," Michelle began, gently tapping the photo with her fingertip. "You see the tie he's wearing?"

Carla glanced at the photo again, it was difficult to pick up in the dim light but she could just about make out that it was dark against his pale shirt. Probably black or possibly deep-

Her breath hitched in realisation and she brushed her hand over the silky ribbon that was so intricately threaded around the jewellery. Tears sprang to her eyes before she could stop them and her throat began to ache, a huge wedge of emotion lodging itself right in her airways.

"Is it okay?" Michelle whispered, lightly resting her hand over Carla's which had started to tremble.

Almost fearfully, as though afraid to damage it in anyway, the older woman took the bracelet between her fingertips, taking in the detail, working out how the material had been looped through the white gold. It was becoming hard to see now through the blur of tears and she realised that Michelle was waiting on baited breath for her response. She looked up at her, opening her mouth to speak but found her voice cracking. Instead she fell against her, allowing herself to release the moisture from her eyes.

"It's perfect, it's perfect thank you so much." She sobbed, letting Michelle help her to position the bracelet safely in its box, along with the photo so that she couldn't spoil it with her tears. "That was so thoughtful." Carla managed to gulp, her chest still fluttering when Michelle swipes gentle fingertips beneath her eyes.

"I didn't mean to make you cry, darling." She spoke softly, her nose bumping into the older brunette's when she left a tender kiss on her lips. "I love you, so much."

"I love you, too." Carla offered her a watery smile, finally gaining some sort of composure and realising that she'd ended up having a meltdown in the middle of the living room, in front of everyone on Christmas morning. It hadn't mattered though, it warmed her in a way that nothing else could knowing that she could do so here, it was safe, it was okay. Ryan had shuffled through the array of wrapping paper to offer her a hug, which she accepted gratefully.

The pile was dwindling down now, after they'd all opened their fair share of stocking fillers; money envelopes, shirts, socks, perfume, the 'posh' moisturiser Carla liked to use every morning and the top that Michelle had fawned over for months in the high street before reluctantly walking by it each time. It was just as they were finishing clearing up the disarray of Christmas paper that Michelle felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She'd assumed that Carla had needed a moment and that's why her fiancée had disappeared, but there was a definite sparkle of a different kind in her eye when Michelle turned around and saw a large gift bag swinging from her hand.

"Here, sit down," she instructed, beckoning Ryan and Ali over who looked just as excited as Carla did.

Confused, Michelle sat back down on the sofa and took the glossy paper bag that Carla was offering to her. She was taken aback at how heavy it was and gripped it with both hands, peering into it. She could make out a leather spine with a gold trim. Reaching into the bag to pull the book out fully, she flipped it over and knew instantly it was a photo album. It was so beautiful; she ran her hand over the embossed, tan cover, following the intricate patterns, the gold, metal border around the edge. There was a matching metal clasp to open it and her heart was ready thudding even before she'd turned over the first page.

The first photo's were of Michelle and Carla, during their school years. The former was dressed in a pristine uniform; knee length grey skirt, the collar of a pressed white shirt peeking over the top of her green school jumper. It was a photo she vaguely remembered, but was sure she'd remembered it in a worse quality. This photo was near enough perfect.

"Look at that hair!" Ryan laughed, pointing to the pristine pigtails that separated Michelle's glossy hair, secured with green and white gingham scrunchies. Carla looked relatively presentable herself, her jumper was slightly more tatty, but it was the first day of secondary school and she hadn't had a chance to muck it up too badly. Her own hair was parted down the middle and spilling over her shoulders, it was so long, she couldn't even remember having felt it all the way down her back.

"Hey, I was cute!" Michelle protested, laughing as she continued to flip through the pages. There were more photos of her and Carla, this time at a Halloween party. They were wearing the exact same outfit; fitted dresses, knee high boots and wings, only Michelle was in red and her wings were pointy, and Carla was stunning in white, the wings on her back feathery.

"Oh, the irony." Michelle smirked, tapping the halo fastened on top of a sixteen year old Carla's head, while her own had sprouted little red horns.

"Well, that's why we did it. It was funnier."

Carla laughed, absentmindedly twirling a strand of Michelle's hair around her finger. There were two more pages of photos from parties, both in various states of intoxication, one that was blurred when Michelle had ducked behind a wall to hide the fact she was smoking from Paul.

Then Michelle was stood on a pier, the sea's horizon in the background. Her hair was billowing around her face and she was wearing leggings and an oversized denim shirt, hand resting on the growing bump. The biggest grin was stamped across her face.

"Are you wearing dungaree's, Carla?" Ali pointed out, causing Ryan to splutter.

"Hey! They were all the rage back then." She was stood beside Michelle in the photo, holding candy floss that the younger woman had insisted she was craving but never ended up touching.

"Where was that?"

"Blackpool, I think. Paul had just got his first car, decided to take me, 'Chelle and Liam off for the day."

"Can we get to the good pages, yet? You know, where we enter your lives?" Ryan piped up, causing Michelle to lightly nudge him with her elbow. She was feeling slightly overwhelmed, she wanted to spend hours just basking in every memory. If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel how harshly the wind had whipped her face, remember how Carla had insisted she would ride the waltzer alone and then dashed into the toilet the second the right had stopped spinning.

"Are these the photo's you wanted us all to see?" Carla smirked, when the next page revealed Ryan in his early years, chocolate around his face while his father attempts to attack him with a wet wipe, hair spiked up with shampoo in the bath, one of him stood next to Liam, both their faces covered in shaving foam. She had to fight against her emotions herself, but it helped somewhat that she'd already seen the photos when picking them out, making her more immune to the shock that seemed to be hitting Michelle. Carla had worried at first it might be too much, but this was the longest amount of time she'd seen her fiancée smile for despite the fact that she was having to rapidly blink back tears.

For a split second, Michelle thought that somehow, some way, Carla had bizarrely got hold of Dean's baby photos; the brown haired baby with chubby cheeks that was sat on a picnic blanket in the garden looked _so_ familiar. Michelle's head suddenly snapped up to look at Ali, who had been watching the realisation light up her face with a genuinely happy grin across his own.

"Ali! This is you!" She cried out, turning the page to reveal more of his younger years; his first day at school, grey shorts and grazed knees from an action packed summer. It was inevitable then, her face crumpled and she burst into tears.

"You owe me a fiver!" Ryan nudged Ali, who shot him a small frown at his lack of tact. At Carla's confused glance, he added. "We had a bet. Ali reckoned she could through the whole thing without blubbering. I said she wouldn't even get halfway."

"Boys!" Carla rolled her eyes, shaking her head at the pair of them as she slid her arm around Michelle's shoulders. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

The other brunette gave a small nod, balancing the book across her lap so she could wrap both of her arms around Carla, her shoulders still trembling with the force of her sobbing.

"I'm just so happy."

"You're so happy?" Carla couldn't help but chuckle at her statement, especially as she could barely get the words out through her tears. Ali shuffled closer to where Michelle was sat, placing a tentative hand on her back while he peered more closely at the photo's he'd given to Carla when she had first approached him about the idea.

"This is beyond amazing. How long have you been working on this?" Michelle questioned, when she'd finally pulled away from her fiancée. Her breathing was still shallow, but she'd just about regained composure. She'd swallowed the remainder of her sobs, the need to continue flicking through the rest of the pages overthrowing the urge she had to continue crying.

"Since I moved in." Carla confessed, winding her hand back into Michelle's hair. "I had a few photos and then I asked Johnny and these two to gather as many as they could. I had someone restore the more damaged ones, they came out really well."

They were getting to the most recent days in the album now, although Carla had a feeling that Michelle would go back and pour over the earlier pages for hours once she had the tone to do so. It was something she'd done herself, but it had been so difficult without Michelle and she couldn't wait to go through their memories together. The last pages consisted of the ones taken in the restaurant; Ali and Ryan holding devil horns up behind a laughing Carla. Michelle had been right, it was frame-worthy. Unable to help herself, she brushed her fingertip over the other woman's grinning photo, she was so beautiful. In the final photo, Michelle was extremely grateful to herself that she'd dashed off into the Rovers Return toilets to reapply her make up, because she looked someone presentable, stood at the bar with Carla, grinning at the camera and showing off their engagement rings. It was the one Ryan had taken on the day they'd proposed.

"And there's one page left," Carla whispered, her lips right by her fiancées ear as she gently tucked her hair behind it. "For _that_ event."

"Oh and look at that, we are right on cue!" Ryan tapped Ali's shoulder and nodded over to the coffee table. The doctor reached over and took Michelle's iPad, which had began to vibrate against the wood.

This time, Carla was just as confused as Michelle, the pair of them watching her two sons answer the call from Helen and Barry.

"We can't give you our present to you until you've spoken to Gran and Grandad." Ryan hinted.

" _Merry Christmas!"_ A thick Irish accent emanated the speakers a split second before the faces of Helen and Barry appeared interview. " _Ah, let's look at you all. Have you seen what they're wearing, darling? I'll be after a pair of those for us two!"_ Barry teased, causing Michelle, Ali and Ryan to turn to Carla, their eyes narrowing playfully at her.

They should have guessed her parents would call, they usually did at Christmas but they had seemed so busy this time around that neither had even thought to properly arrange the time for a call. Luckily, it seemed Ryan and Ali had been on the ball.

"Look what Carla got me!" Michelle suddenly gushed and it caused Carla to chuckle softly. She was like an excited child, holding up the photo album to show her parents. It took a while, because Helen insisted that she had to show her practically every page and Carla could tell Ryan was getting impatient.

" _Ah, that's fantastic."_ Barry confirmed, gently bringing the topic to a close. " _That was really lovely Carla, and we'll be wanting to see more of it when we see you in January-"_

"January?" Michelle frowned and there was a scuffle from behind the screen.

" _Barry!"_ Helen hissed, giving him a light tap on the shoulder. " _We haven't said!"_

"Said what? What's happening?"

Carla thought that might have been obvious; the two were clearly planning to come and visit during the New Year. She found that she didn't mind at all, now that Helen and herself had resolved the rift between them, having them here this time around might be a lot more pleasant.

" _Boys have you got it?"_

Following Helen's instruction, Ali handed an envelope to Carla, who was closer to him than Michelle was. She carefully slid her finger beneath the opening and pulled out a wad of paper, unfolding it and holding it out in front of her fiancée. They both stared at it blankly at first, picking out the words 'wedding' and 'confirmation' and 'congratulations' without taking any of it in.

" _Johnny told us how disappointed you were when you had to postpone your wedding."_ Helen began, starting to explain their actions. " _Especially after everything that had happened, how much you'd already planned. Jenny told us she overheard you and Carla discussing one of your clients venue's. She said you were both saying how beautiful it was."_

Michelle nodded, remembering the client vividly. It was clear she would settle for nothing but the best for her wedding and the hotel that she'd chosen was magnificent, the sort of thing that one would envision having their fairytale wedding in.

" _They had a space available for the end of January. Now, we know we might have gotten a little ahead of ourselves. But you can still use the same decorations, invites, dresses, all you'd need to do was choose a menu and confirm-"_

"Are- Are you serious?" Michelle whispered, scanning the letter in Carla's trembling hands, having to take it from the other woman so she could read for herself what her mother had been saying.

" _Like I said, you don't have to. We understand if it wasn't our place, but we, that is Johnny, Jenny, your father and I, we all thought we'd offer-"_

Michelle turned to face Carla, who looked lost for words at the extremely grand gesture. They were doing it again, the ability they had to silently converse with one another. She met the hopeful, hazel hues in front of her and knew exactly what Michelle wanted to do. She knew because it was exactly what she wanted, too. If it had been possible, the older brunette was sure her heart might have burst right through her chest, it was beating so rapidly, so happily. She gave Michelle a confirming nod and the younger woman cried out in delight, her hands flying over her face.

"I can't believe this! I can't believe you've all done this for us!" Tears were rolling down her cheeks once more and Barry had a comforting arm around his wife, who had also given into her emotions. Both looked pained that they couldn't be there to comfort their family, to join in with the celebrations but seeing their daughter practically dancing around the apartment with happiness had made their Christmas. "Thank you, thank you so much!"

"Yeah, I second that," Carla nodded at Michelle's parents, her voice weak with shock and gratitude. "Seriously, Helen, Barry, thank you. For everything. I promise I'm going to make her so happy."

" _We know that,"_ Barry smiled at her kindly, the same one he'd always given to her. Helen was offering a sincere one of her own and Carla wondered if this is what Christmas truly felt like. It was going to be one she remembered for the rest of her life. " _You're very welcome, Carla."_

Carla might have cried herself, right in front of Michelle's parents, she could certainly feel her eyes filling up, but the younger woman seized hold of her and pressed a crushing kiss against her lips. She could feel the dampness from Michelle's cheeks against her own skin as she responded softly, weaving her hands into the younger woman's hair. Neither of them heard Barry clearing his throat, followed by his hearty chuckle. It was Ryan and Ali who jumped in to wish their grandparents a merry Christmas while the two women worked on trying to let one another go.

" _Well we'll be seeing you all after the New Year. We'll be up a week before the wedding."_

They bid their goodbye's, with Michelle thanking them once more for their generosity before the call ended. Both of them sat there, staring at the now blank screen, completely shell-shocked.

"Did you two know about this?" Carla asked, Ali and Ryan's sly grins confirming her suspicions.

"Of course we did, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to do this, would we?" Ali handed them another envelope and this time Michelle took it.

"We got you a two-night stay there." Ryan shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "Kate and Maria will go down with you the night before the wedding, you can go for all that spa rubbish and then you both stay an extra night afterwards."

"You two!" Michelle shook her head, holding out her arms around throwing them around both of her sons, trying to hold as much of them as possible despite the fact that she was the tiniest of the three. She pulled back only to encourage Carla forward and she managed to squeeze herself in, wrapping her own arm around the two men who were gradually becoming almost closer than nephews to her as the weeks slipped by.

"I can still DJ, right?" Ryan's muffled voice sounded from over Michelle's shoulder and Carla laughed, laughed as she had done all morning. She couldn't imagine anything other than this, there wasn't a place in the world she thought she could belong any more.

 **IXIXIXI**

Almost everyone in the Rovers was drunk. Johnny's two-for-one Christmas specials were entirely to blame. It might have looked like the typical Christmas party in a traditional pub; baskets of crisps, nuts and sausage rolls scattered along the bar and across tables, Mariah Carey's cheesy Christmas hit blasting from the duke box, overly cheery conversation of people who were already at the peak of intoxication and that one piece of mistletoe making its rounds that almost everyone was trying to avoid. But for the Connor's, this was family. This was all they could have hoped for after the year's events. Johnny had reserved them the best booth and was beaming over at his family with pride, as though he couldn't quite believe that everything was going to be okay, because thats how it felt now.

Carla and Michelle had flown at him and Jenny, thanking them profusely for their part in their overly extravagant Christmas gift. There were smiles all around as they joked about the Christmas nightwear Carla had forced them all into that morning and even though she was staying relatively sober, the factory boss was enjoying herself. She'd even chatted to some of her workers with genuine interest, until they'd all become too sloshed to be coherent.

"You look stunning, that top is gorgeous. Turn around again." Carla placed her hand on Michelle's shoulder, gently spinning her. It was a sparkly black number, short sleeved and the back of it consisted of nothing but black ribbon, criss-crossing down her back and tying at the base in a bow. It was the once she'd received earlier that morning, the one she'd been eyeing for weeks.

"Don't let my fiancée hear you talking like that." The younger woman grinned, turning back to face Carla with a teasing smile.

"The jealous type?" Carla played along, reaching out to twirl a strand of Michelle's curled hair.

"Not really. I mean, she has no need to be. She's beautiful and I'm completely in love with her."

Carla felt her cheeks heat up and the younger woman's smile widened as she dipped forward, pressing a swift kiss against her lips.

"Where's Ali?"

"Helping Johnny with more mixers."

There was a rattling sound as the two men appeared from the cellar, both of them clutching baskets of spirits in their hands. They wobbled dangerously, neither of the men were sober and Jenny hastened to grab the one her husband was holding before he caused an accident.

"Careful!" She scolded, shaking her head at the landlord who just grinned in response, taking the crate Ali was holding despite having just nearly dropped the last one.

"Sure you've got it?" Ali checked, sidling back around to the right side of the bar after Johnny assured him he was fine.

Although Michelle wasn't drunk, she'd had a little more to drink than Carla and as a result seemed a little more giddy than usual. She didn't mind at all, it was Christmas and the younger woman deserved to enjoy herself. Carla wasn't really missing it and it surprised her; she still felt the urge whenever she was particularly stressed, but when she was happy, surrounded by the people who she loved most in the world, two or three was more than sufficient. She was sure her liver was singing her praises. So wrapped up in her thought, she'd only just realised that poor Ali was trying to fend off her fiancée.

"-my gorgeous boy, aren't you? And you look even more gorgeous in your new shirt. Ooh I could squeeze you." She had his chin in her hand, pinching his cheeks while he scrunched his face, looking relatively embarrassed but not as horrified as he normally would have been. Maybe Michelle wasn't the only one who'd have slightly too much.

"Mum, seriously-"

"'Chelle, leave the poor kid alone." Carla swooped to his rescue, pulling the younger woman off him and brushing the flecks of glitter from the arm of his shirt.

"Where's Ryan got to?"

Carla glanced around the room, finally clocking him over Michelle's shoulder, wedged in the very far corner in a table almost hidden from view. The older brunette's eyebrows flew to her hairline, a small smirk forming across her face.

"Oh."

Michelle span around, her mouth falling open when she clocked eyes on her son, his lips firmly locked with those of Bethany Platt.

"Well I guess a kiss from his mum would be extremely uncool now." Michelle sighed, noticing that Kate was aiming her phone right at the oblivious duo, her nose wrinkled in amusement as she ignored Rana's jibes to leave her cousin alone.

"Oh I don't know, I really wouldn't say no to a kiss from his mum." Carla spoke softly into her ear, a sly grin forming across her face. Michelle was more than happy to comply, bringing her close and treating the entire pub to the scene, allowing the kiss she delivered against her lips to lingering a lot longer than the last had.

"I've got one more thing for you to unwrap when we get home," Michelle thought she was whispering, though she had to make sure Carla could hear her over the machinists rendition of _Fairytale of New York._ She took hold of Carla's hands and placed them around her waist, making sure they were situated over the bow at the bottom of her back. "Me."

Carla looked up at her, her eyes looked darker at her words, the tip of her tongue peeking out to wet lower lip as her brain whirred to formulate a response. She was just about to open her mouth to do so when Jenny cut in.

"Eww, no, we can't be having that." She grimaced, dipping her hands into the ice tray and flicking them at the two women, showering them in water droplets. "Cool off!"

"Oh they need restraining from one another, those two, when they're in that mood." Kate had joined them at the bar, placing herself and Rana's empty glasses on the surface and ordering the same again. Carla admired the bracelet that was fastened around Kate's wrist, almost identical to the one Michelle had got for her, but the ribbon was red. Johnny had loved the idea so much that he'd asked Michelle if she would mind if he gifted one to Kate. Of course his niece hadn't minded at all and had even assisted him to the jewellers. Michelle had told Carla how he was uncertain at first of whether he could bring himself to leave another one of his possessions with a stranger to intentionally destroy, but decided the red Christmas tie would only remain in storage otherwise.

"Nuts?" Carla was snapped out of her thoughts once more my Jenny, who was shaking a bowl of dry roasted at her.

"What- Oh, no thanks. I'm stuffed."

"That's because she bought a turkey big enough to serve ten for the four of us." Michelle rolled her eyes, though there was still a sickeningly adoring expression across her face as she studied her fiancée. "I could barely get it in the oven! We'll be eating it until Easter!"

"It was the only one left!" Carla defended, picking up one of the nuts and throwing it at the younger woman. "I didn't fancy trying to wrestle the other one out of Evelyn's hands, the daft old bat was using a walking stick to fend everyone off."

Kate spluttered with laughter, even Michelle, who had heard the story a couple of days when Carla had stumbled into the apartment looking harassed, hair teased around her face, couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, moving to rest her hands over Carla's.

"I can't believe this year is almost over. I can't believe I'm going to be getting married. To my person. The yin to my yang." Michelle mused, shaking her head in disbelief. "This year has been so hard, it truly has and I couldn't have got through it without you."

Whether it was drink or Michelle's words, Kate's eyes had filled with tears, her hand resting against her chest as she watched the older duo embrace one another. Having overheard their conversation, Johnny gave a nod to his wife, who reached up and rang the bell. Ali had the sense to walk over to silence the jukebox and a hush fell over the pub.

"Thanks," Johnny nodded in the general direction of his punters. "I'm really glad that so many of you decided to join us to celebrate Christmas, I hope you've all had a good evening."

He was met with a scattering of applause and cheer. Ryan had managed to tear himself away from Bethany and had joined his family by the bar. Jenny was making her way around the customers with trays of champagne that she'd been pouring into glasses in preparation for Johnny's speech and Sean had wriggled from his own seat to help her delegate the drinks.

"This time of year can be hard, especially for those of us who have lost. Another year without absent friends and family, another year where not everyone we loved made it." His voice wavered slightly, but he cleared his throat determinedly. Michelle reached out and gripped Carla's hand on her own, lacing their fingers together. "This year I'd be so grateful if you could join me in raising a glass to my son, my Aidan. And all of our absent family and friends, who we miss just that little bit more on this day."

There was a chorus of Aidan's name as everyone raised their glass, followed by another round of applause. Carla was swiping her hands over her cheeks, giving Michelle a reassuring smile when the younger woman looked at her in concern.

"I'm okay," she whispered, though accepted her embrace anyway, the warmth of it would never not be a comfort.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm positive. Are you?" Carla checked, stroking her finger down her fiancee's cheek.

"I'm okay."

That seemed to be the theme; Johnny and Jenny wrapped in an embrace, sad smiles across their faces, they were alright; Kate was buried into Rana, there were tears on her cheeks, her eyes were being but her girlfriend was stroking her hair, murmuring reassuringly to her, she'd be fine; Ali and Ryan were nodding to one another, maybe they weren't friends again just yet, but maybe they weren't a lost cause, they'd be okay; Carla still missed her brother terribly, she knew Michelle was going through the exact same as herself, she allowed her head to rest against the younger woman's chest and whispered own reassurances. Glancing around at their family, the people who were left, the people that had become part of it and filled a little of the gaping holes, she knew that parts of them would always be just a little bit broken. This year had taken everything out of them, emotionally, mentally, and they were about to be thrown unknowingly into another one and she didn't know what they might have to face. But, as she stood in the warmth of that pub, surrounded by laughter, singing, by glittering lights and an explosion of tinsel, felt the very faint beating of Michelle's heart against her ear, she knew one thing; whatever it was, they'd be okay.

 **A/n: I took a risk with this double-chapter because I worried readers would get bored halfway through or it may be tedious, hopefully that wasn't the case!**

 **Wishing you all a wonderful holiday! Merry Christmas (if you celebrate) and have a fantastic New Year! Thank you for allowing me to use a ton of artistic licence on your fav characters and for all the support!**

 **Coming up next: The bells may be ringing out for more than Christmas Day...**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/n: Hello, I have returned! Here are a few notices about this chapter:**

 **The first couple of scenes were ones I'd wrote at Christmas time and I was going to just jump straight to the wedding day seeing as I'd had an unscheduled hiatus on this fic, but after reading them back I enjoyed the way they brought Carla even closer in with Michelle's two, so I decided to keep them— which is why the b**

 **eginning may seem a little disconcerted with the rest of the chapter. Still, I hope you enjoy the big day!**

 **Sorry for the length of this intro, but I also need to say this is a major TRIGGER WARNING:**

 **There's an explicit scene further down in this chapter. I mean seriously it's the closest thing to smut I've written and I've no excuse other than what the hell, I'm going for it. (Probably actually going to hell too now) There's a part where one character absolutely and completely consensually dominates the other, but if you thing that might be triggering please scroll by it! I've put a longer break (IXI) at the beginning and end of the content.**

 **I've purposely made it so that it won't affect the plot line in any way should you choose to skip it. For those who like M rated content, go ahead! If you'd prefer to scroll past it quickly catching snippets as you go and blushing profusely (as I did and I wrote the flipping thing) then go straight to the very last section once you've read the dance scene!**

 **Now that's all over with, take a breath (or a break) and hopefully enjoy!**

"Will you stop breathing down my neck you flamin' cheat? I know you're doing it to put me off!" Carla huffed irritably, batting a grinning Ryan away from where she was hunched over the coffee table. A pair of tweezers were held tightly in between her fingers, which she was using to attempt to pluck the plastic apple from the metal bordered cavity of the cartoon man depicted on the board game's throat.

It had been Ali's joke secret Santa gift from a work colleague, but it was Ryan and Carla who were currently battling it out to see who was the better practiced surgeon.

"You need a steadier hand," Ryan pointed out unhelpfully. "Your aim is terrible."

"I'll give you a non-too-steady hand across the back of the head if you don't shut it and I can assure you my aim will be stellar." Carla threatened playfully, her hand jerking up to him in warning, which caused the younger man to flinch back. He slumped back against the cushions chuckling to himself.

"You wouldn't hit your bird's kid!"

"I won't have to, _she'll_ hit you if she hears you referring to her as that."

"Who's hitting who?"

Michelle's voice infiltrated the room as she swept by them, a small laugh leaving her lips when she clocked how her son and fiancée had chosen to entertain themselves.

"Where are you dashing off to?" Carla frowned, looking up from the game to where Michelle was rummaging around the kitchen, gathering up her phone and throwing it into her bag.

"I told you, I booked a hairdressing appointment with Maria." Michelle was now digging through the pile of coats that had been slung over the back of the kitchen chair despite the fact she'd specifically asked everyone in the apartment to hang them up after removing them. It wasn't a rule she could enforce because it wasn't one she followed herself a lot of the time.

"Oh. On New Year's Eve? That was lucky."

"I booked it weeks ago so I could get in, what's that face for?" She laughed, clocking the slight pout across the other brunette's face. Carla had abandoned the tweezers and was now wriggling up from her seat, heading over to where Michelle was pulling her coat around her shoulders.

"You're going to be upstaging me at the party now aren't you? With a fancy new do." Carla teased, her brow furrowing again at the leather jacket Michelle was wearing. "It's freezing out there."

Without waiting for Michelle's response, she plucked her own grey, wool scarf from the back of the chair and wound it around the younger woman's neck, fussing with the placement of it against the black jumper she was wearing. Michelle rolled her eyes but allowed her to continue, raising her eyebrow when Carla made the very deliberate gesture of smoothing the material down her front, hands pressing firmly. Her eyes narrowed playfully; although Carla was trying to feign innocence, the corners of her lips were twitching as though trying to smirk.

"Er, if you've quite finished touching me up, I've an appointment to keep." She muttered under her breath, barely audible.

"Hey, I'm trying to make sure you don't catch your death!" Carla gasped, her mouth falling open in offence. Michelle gave her a pointed stare, her eyes dropping down for a moment to where the older brunette's hands still remained. Carla tried to stare straight back, a serious expression across her face but was unable to upkeep it, her nose wrinkling as she gave in to her laughter. Her hands did then slide further down her fiancée's body, wrapping around her waist and she stretched up for a kiss, which Michelle happily welcomed.

"I think I'm going to get ready early and see Johnny before it all kicks off." Carla murmured, finding herself pulled back into the younger woman's embrace when she returned the kiss, their lips grazing lightly against one another.

"Okay, I'll meet you there then. I probably won't be ready until it starts." Michelle breathed quickly, her mouth too occupied with seeking out Carla's once more. As soon as they met again a harsh buzzing noise cut through the silence and they both whipped around to where Ryan was deliberately causing the game to shriek.

"You're going to the hairdressers, not to war." He grimaced, looking repulsed at the pair's antics. "Just _go."_

 **IXIXIXI**

"Yeah well you're the worst at it and you're an actual doctor. What does that say?" Ryan shrugged, raising his pint from the table and taking a swig.

"Yeah, Doctor, not a surgeon. And to be fair Carla isn't much better than me."

"Oi, I beat you both last time!" The brunette woman chipped in, picking up a beer mat and frisbeeing it towards Ali and Ryan, not caring which one she actually hit.

"Ali's phone went off the exact same time you made it buzz so we didn't hear it, but I saw the nose light up!" Ryan tried to protest, while Carla feigned innocence. "Otherwise I'd have won."

"Actually, _I'd_ have won." Ali corrected him, looking smug. "I had more pieces than you."

Ryan instantly tried to defend himself, listing off the number of items he'd successfully removed, counting on his hand as he went along.

"And I even managed to get that elastic band, which neither of you managed to-"

"Oh for crying out loud!" Michelle's voice from behind the booth caused all three of them to look up. She'd been listening to the them bicker, none of them having noticed she'd even arrived. "Are you all still on about that flippin' game? It's for kids! It's a good job we didn't get _Cluedo_ or something requiring brain maturity past the age of seven." She sassed, flipping her hair from her face in order to eye her family, unamused.

"Look at you!" Carla jumped up from her seat, dashing over to her fiancée to admire her appreciatively. She reached up and carefully fussed with the shorter strands of hair framing her face that hadn't been there pre her appointment with Maria.

"Nice of you to finally notice." Michelle sassed, though all was forgiven when Carla leant in for a kiss, lingering close even after she'd broken away.

"You look gorgeous."

"Look who's talking."

"Oh flamin' 'ell fire." Ryan hissed under his breath, jumping up from where he'd been sitting and slinking past the two women, his face crumpled in disgust. "I'm going to get another round in. It's about time we got this party well and truly started."

 **IXIXIXI**

"Right is that everything?" Barry checked, wheeling Michelle's suitcase over to Ali, who lifted it into the back of the taxi.

"Yeah, I think." Michelle bit her lip worriedly, mentally listing everything she'd need for the huge days ahead. It felt like everything had gone far too smoothly for her liking. They'd just finished loading the first taxi, which would be taking herself and Maria to the hotel venue and were currently waiting for Carla and Kate to decide to arrive, the second taxi still waiting to be loaded up with luggage. Helen was half in the cab, fussing once more with the large dress cover that was concealing Michelle's gown and currently hanging, slightly too crooked for her mother's liking, from one of the handles at the roof of the interior.

"Ah look, here they are!" Barry called cheerfully, waving at Carla and Kate who had finally spilled from the Rovers, the youngest brunette and Jenny carefully carrying a cover identical to the one Helen was trying to reposition. At the appearance of the second dress, she went to lend her assistance, finally deciding that Michelle's was hung safely.

"Hey you," Carla grinned, making her way over to her fiancée after greeting Michelle's parents. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. What took you?"

"She couldn't find her other earring." Kate rolled her eyes, having left Helen and Jenny to sort out the dress, feeling she'd only been getting in the way. "It was in the box all along, though." She still looked a little peaky and both Michelle and Carla shot her the same look, eyebrows raised.

"I'm _not_ hungover!" She insisted, folding her arms across her chest defiantly.

Their 'hen do', of sorts, had consisted of friends, family and what was meant to be a quiet evening in the Rovers. They should have known inviting the factory lot would cause the evening to descend into carnage. After the sixth round of 'Prosecco pong', Kate had all but had to be dragged from where she'd climbed up onto the table; she hadn't been able to manage the last glass and as a forfeit she'd been told to get up and perform the dance to _Saturday Night._

"Ryan said you were sick in the ginnel." Michelle smirked, though he'd got into such a state himself that he was currently still back at the flat, willing the room to stop spinning.

"Yeah well I'm fine now. I'm in need of this luxury spa day though so come on!" She nagged, picking up her own overnight bag and heading towards the taxi.

"Okay, so you know the taxi's will be here for you, mum, Johnny, Jenny and the lads tomorrow at nine, don't you?" Michelle stressed, rifling through the contents of her handbag and pulling out her phone. This was now the third time she'd checked the confirmation from _Street Cars. "_ And you know that Liam is going with Kirk?"

"And the rest of the guests know to go to the factory for the coach? You'll make sure everyone gets on?" Carla chipped in, plucking the company card from her own purse and giving it to Barry, where she'd wrote down the times across the back of it.

"Yes, yes, we _know_ ," he chuckled, shaking his head fondly at the pair of them. "There's no need for all this panic, we won't let you down."

"Well I'm a wedding planner, it's in my nature to fuss, and she's just a control freak." Michelle smirked, giving Carla a gentle nudge.

The older brunette shot her a look, but Michelle merely winked at her and they were interrupted by Maria and Kate, who were calling to them. The dresses had been successfully hung in he taxi's and it was time to go.

"Right, we'll see you both tomorrow." Barry nodded, slipping his arm around his wife who had sidled over to bid them goodbye.

"Yeah, we're counting on it. Okay, here we go." Michelle took a final, calming breath and after another round of farewell's from their family, they were just about to climb into their respective taxi's when the factory gang spilled out of the Rovers and spilled into song.

" _They're getting married in the morning. Ding, dong; the bells are gonna chime!"_

Carla caught Michelle's eye and rolled her own, though they both gave out cries of laughter, the former shaking her head at her workforce, a wide and happy grin spreading across her face. It took three seconds for Helen, Barry, Johnny and Jenny to join in, the group clapping along with them. There were a couple of stragglers on the street; Steve, Eileen and David who had been making their way into the pub but were stopped by the impromptu flash mob and in the spirit of the occasion, also applauded along.

" _Pull out the stopper, lets have a whopper! But get me to the church on time!"_

 **IXIXIXI**

There was definitely an air of excitement during the journey to the hotel. Kate was chatting non-stop to Carla about the different spa treatments available, flipping through the leaflet in her hands and contemplating that after the wedding, she was considering staying an extra day and booking a room for herself and Rana.

"She's coming down with Johnny and Jenny isn't she?" Carla asked, absentmindedly flipping through their group chat to make sure for the hundredth time that everyone was clear on their instructions.

"Uh, I think so. Well, she'll be in whichever car Ali gets in I reckon, they get on well. Similar professional background and all." Kate shrugged, now scanning the list of amenities he hotel hosted, besides the spa. "Apparently they can arrange horseback riding. I hope they don't mean in the grounds. Can you imagine the mess?"

Kate's comments and questions continued for the remainder of the journey, but Carla didn't mind. She was enjoying the topic, being able to switch off her brain and forget about the factory, orders, the struggles of the last few months and concentrate on what was sure to be one of the best days of her life. Despite the nerves surrounding the occasion, which she concluded were normal and after her past experiences with weddings it wasn't surprising that she was feeling a little anxiety.

It quelled slightly when they stepped out of the cabs and she was reunified with Michelle. It had been insisted they travel separately in case of accidental exposure to the dresses. The two women had rolled their eyes and tried to argue but Kate insisted it was bad luck. She'd thrown in a sly comment about after Carla's track record, did they need to be tempting fate and, after a hefty dig in the side, courtesy of one of her older sister's sharp elbows, Carla had finally relented.

Carla thought they'd be checking in straight away, but after being informed they were part of the wedding party, the brides-to-be and their bridesmaids to be exact, a flurry of well dressed assistants insisted on helping them with their luggage and the large dress bags, assuring them it would be taken care off. A tall man with dark hair and a stiff, pressed suit came over to shake their hands in turn, introducing himself.

"Good morning, my name is Harold Hutchinson-Smythe—"

Carla felt Kate tense beside her, knowing the younger girl was biting the inside of her cheek to stop the smirk reaching her lips.

"—and I'm the manager. I'd like to offer you a sincere and warm welcome to _Elder Tower Hotel and Spa_ and I am delighted to be hosting this most joyous occasion."

He had a balding combover and a well groomed moustache but he was friendly enough, despite his teeth seeming too white. Carla had been too busy paying attention to the way he'd strategically combed his hair to cover the worst part of the bald spot that was reflecting the bright lights of the reception area to notice that they'd been offered glasses of champagne and a quick, personalised tour of the rooms they'd be using.

"Oh— thanks." Carla nodded, plucking a tall flute of bubbles from the waitress holding a silver tray, taking a quick sip. As pompous as he seemed, she couldn't fault the quality of the fizz or the luxury of his hotel. Clearly he was proud and Carla reckoned he had reason to be.

She linked her fingers with Michelle's, trying not to catch her eye because the last thing she needed was an onset spurt of giggles, especially considering they were drinking so early in the morning. It'd go straight to the younger woman's head.

They were lead into a grand room, lit up by three stunning chandeliers that were glittering from the ceiling, the tiny lights twinkling down at the group of women. The hotel manager held out his arm, a gesture for them to enter before him. White and grey marble pillars adorned each side of the vast room, each one already decorating with swirls of Ivy, white roses and more tiny fairy lights. The pillars continued parallel down the side of both walls and finally gave way to a grand alter, the same shining, mottled marble forming a tiny raised platform and already fixed with a backdrop wall of white roses.

The chairs where their guests would sit had been prepared, draped in white chiffon and synched at the back with a rose and ivy bouquet, tied with a satin ribbon. It looked beautiful and with a leap of excitement, Michelle realised they were all currently stood at the beginning of the aisle, a wide strip of white between the two groups of chairs.

"You know, I haven't seen heaven before but I reckon this is similar to the walk you have to take before you reach the pearly gates." Kate commented, nodding impressively at the luxurious venue.

"As you can see we've just come through the main entrance." The manager began, before pointing out two smaller doors that were embedded either side of the room. "And then we have these two here that can be used as entrances. Now you can both enter through here if you wish, but if you'd like a few more moments before the 'big reveal', you might want to consider using these." He suggested, turning to the brunette pair.

"Yeah I think that's what we wanted." Carla confirmed, unable to keep the wide grin from stretching across her features. It was all so real, seeing the room up close for the first time, being stood on the very real aisle that she was going to be walking down the next day.

"Now you just have to decide who goes first, unless of course you want to come through at the same time."

Michelle bit her lip, it was an idea they'd toyed with themselves and while that had been exactly what she wanted at the time, she suddenly had a jolt of realisation.

"Carla, can I go first?"

The three women turned to her curiously and she felt her cheeks heat up slightly.

"It's just, I've watched you walk down the aisle so many times-"

Carla coughed awkwardly in the presence of the manager and Kate had pressed her lips together to try and keep the smirk off her face. None of them had the slightest clue where Michelle was going with her train of thought.

"-I just mean, I've watched as a guest, as a bridesmaid, watched you pass me looking so beautiful and each time it was to the wrong person. I just want to see you do it again, only this time you won't walk by me, you'll walk to me and this time I'll know for absolute certain that it's to someone who truly loves you."

It was quiet, but not tense, not awkward. Carla was taken aback for a moment, her heart beating a little more rapidly against her chest as she reached out and took the younger brunettes hands in her own, giving them a squeeze.

"If that's what you want, then that's exactly what we're going to do." She nodded, wanting nothing more than to throw her arms around Michelle and engage her in the sort of kiss that usually had them stumbling into the bedroom. Suddenly Carla found herself wishing they'd checked out the rooms before agreeing to a tour. It wasn't likely they were going to be allowed a minute alone together.

"Aw, Michelle. I think I might wish I was marrying you now." Maria teased, effectively breaking the highly charged electricity that seemed to be buzzing around the older two.

"Told you she was planning to steal you off me." Carla smirked, slipping her hand back into Michelle's as the manager lead them out of the room and into another that lead on from it.

If possible, this one was larger, one long table situated along the front wall against a backdrop of white chiffon and hundreds of fairy lights that rained down in rows. One half of the room was filled with round tables, name tags propped by every seat. They weren't fully set, but their centrepieces had been put into place already. Magnificent, ornate candelabra's featured in the middle of every table, wound with ivy, more roses and the base was fixed with a matching wreath. More candles and a scattering of petals had been placed strategically around the elegant structure. The chairs were decorated similarly to the ones in the previous room, draped soft ivory material, synced at the back with ribbon and additional white flowers, lines of ivy peeking through the carefully put together display.

"Wow, it's beautiful." Michelle glanced around, feeling as though she'd stepped straight into a photo form one of the luxurious wedding magazines she and Carla had spent hours pouring over for inspiration. It seemed like a lifetime ago now but it was all worth it to see it coming together so amazingly.

"Now, if you'd like a more intimate setting during dinner, we can draw these curtains." He indicted halfway down the room, where heavy cream and gold curtains were tied back, exactly the point where it split off into a polished floor and right at the far end a small, private bar all set with spirits and probably an abundance of wine. "And then once you and your guests are ready, we'll open up the bar for you and you can continue your evening."

Carla thanked him and after assuring him that they had no more questions, they were left to make their way to the spa at their own leisure.

"It doesn't seem real, does it?" Kate laughed, a wide grin on her face as she turned to face the other three, all of them completely fixated on their stately surroundings, knowing that come tomorrow, everyone would be sat here. All their family and friends, in the middle of celebrating the biggest day of their lives. They'd be married.

"It felt like we'd never get here, that's for sure." Carla sighed out in relief, feeling a lot less tense now that they knew exactly what they'd be doing. She was sure that come tomorrow she'd have crippling anxiety once more, but for now she could relax. Well, almost.

It was tricky to find a moment to get Michelle in her own. If they weren't all laid out on tables getting every bit of their vertebrae cracked and repositioned, they were unable to speak due to the face masks that were drying against their skin, or couldn't see one another due to the steam clouding their vision. That was probably a good thing, because Carla had vivid memories of the last time they'd been in a hotel together, with a sauna and when she finally caught Michelle's gaze the younger woman's skin was too heated, a glint in her eye and they had to look away from one another.

But if she didn't grab her soon, there wouldn't be any time because their day was rapidly turning into evening and both Kate and Maria were insisting that they all tried for an early night— in separate rooms on Carla and Michelle's part.

"Oh look, they've got a hair salon!" Maria gushed enthusiastically, eyeing the modern setting with envy. Kate stopped and peered in too, commenting that they should have all booked in rather than have Maria worry about it. Seizing her opportunity while the two were distracted, she grasped hold of Michelle's hand and tugged her down the corridor, walking them with purpose around the corner and out of sight.

"Hey, what're you—"

"I needed to do this." Carla whispered, heart thudding a little harder in her chest as she reached into her bag and pulled out a small box.

"I don't—"

"Please just open it. And then I can explain." She watched Michelle's face crease in confusion, her fingers slowly prying open the lid. Carla braced herself, she knew it was inevitable Michelle would get upset but this was important. So important. She wouldn't go into tomorrow without Michelle knowing she hadn't forgotten.

"I wanted you to know that he's part of the day, too. I know you think about him all the time. I know we've got Ryan and Ali here and I just needed you to know that he is too, 'Chelle."

The tears were already on Michelle's cheeks, her fingers trembling as she reached out and traced the delicate heart shaped necklace, embedded with even tinier footprints. Two of them. There was a date engraved underneath and she couldn't help the sob that broke free. Carla's heart clenched and she reached forward, resting her hands either side of the other woman's face, the pads of her thumbs lightly stroking away her tears.

"I am so proud to be a part of all of your lives." Carla whispered, trying to keep the tremor from her own voice. "I know I wasn't there, I know I didn't know him." Her voice cracked slightly then, regret flashing in her eyes. "But he is a part of you and there isn't one single part of you that I don't love with every bit of me."

There was a delicate blue stone set into one side of the heart and Michelle just about managed to stop her tears long enough to whisper.

"Something new _and_ blue."

She found Carla's mouth with her own, using one hand to carefully close the lid on the box containing one of the most precious items of jewellery she now owned and carefully stowed it into her pocket as they kissed.

"Thank you, so much. I love you." They both knew she wasn't just talking about the necklace, but the sentiment behind it, how thoughtful Carla had been, how well she knew her, how supportive she'd been.

"They're here! They sloped off for a sneaky snog!" Kate's voice abruptly stopped their second kiss, the younger girl folding her arms in disapproval, waiting for Maria to catch up with her.

"Come on, it's about time we headed up to the rooms. _Separate_ rooms for you two." Maria indicted between the pair, throwing a smug look at Kate who wiggled her eyebrows.

If either of them had noticed the way Michelle's eyes were sparkling a little too brightly, they hadn't mentioned it— it was possible that they'd assumed it was merely the emotion of the day getting to her, if they had. The journey in the lift and along the corridor was a little too short for Carla's liking, who'd had her fingers laced with Michelle's; she wasn't quite ready to say goodnight or let her go. But inevitably, they came to the two rooms Ryan and Ali had generously gifted them, completely opposite one another.

"Hmm, we'll have to work out a strategy tomorrow so that you don't both end up walking out at the same time and seeing one another before we get to the aisle." Kate commented, eyeing the two doorplates apprehensively. She didn't look like she fully trusted the two women to remain incognito from one another. Carla turned towards her fiancée, noticing the other woman taking a calming breath that mirrored the one brewing in her chest.

"Are you scared?"

Michelle shook her head, reaching up to brush her thumb lightly against her cheek bone. "Are you?"

"No," Carla breathed, her eyes glistening with sincerity of her words. "You've never let me down in my life, 'Chelle. I trust you."

Unable to stop the tears rolling down her cheeks, Michelle pulled the other woman into a tight embrace, brushing her fingertips through her hair, breathing in her comforting scent mixed with the soothing fragrance that was lingering from the luxurious treatments they'd had over the course of the day.

"Hey, come on," Carla murmured softly, though had returned the hug just as fiercely, crushing Michelle into her chest and swaying them both. They lingered for a second longer before reluctantly pulling away, though Carla reached out once more to gently tilt the younger woman's chin. "I'll meet you at the end of the aisle."

"I love you." Michelle sounded choked, struggling to swallow the sob that was threatening to leave her lips. As though to keep it at bay, she dipped forward and connected them with Carla's in a kiss that was brief and gentle, but filled with so much love. "The next time we do that, you won't be my fiancée anymore."

Carla's hand flew to cover her mouth, her own eyes squeezing shut in an effort not to be overcome by her own emotions. Her other hand reached out to grip hold of Michelle's, who held on just as tight.

"Well if you're like this now, how's tomorrow going to go?" Maria laughed, turning to Kate incredulously only to see that the youngest Connor was wiping beneath her own eyes. "Oh, not you as well?"

"It's emotional!" Kate protested, though stepped between the equally tearful pair of brunette's and gently broke their clasped hands apart. "But she's right, come on. We need a full eight hours of beauty sleep."

"Sleep tight." Carla whispered, glancing over her shoulder and blowing a kiss towards Michelle, who returned the gesture before the pair disappeared into opposite rooms, Kate tugging on her arm slightly impatiently.

 **IXIXIXI**

"Mum, is it safe to come in?" There was a knock at the door, Ryan's voice drifting through the wood and she nodded, calling for him to enter.

She was sat at the dressing table, one of the hotel dressing gowns wrapped firmly around her frame, her hair already sectioned into different parts that Maria was beginning to curl.

As soon as he spilled through the doorway, Ali close at his heels Michelle let out a soft gasp, her eyes filling up.

"Oh—"

"No, come on, you'll make your eyes all puffy!" Maria warned, quickly plucking a tissue from the dispenser and thrusting it at the other woman, who had welled up at the sight of her two sons in deep blue suits, compete with waist coasts and crisp new ties.

"You both look—"

"Dishy as hell, I know!" Ryan smirked, jokingly nudging Maria out of the way so he could admire himself in the mirror, twirling one way and then the other, mocking the way he'd seen Michelle do the same before heading out so many times before. Ali rolled his eyes, checking the flash Rolex that was fastened around his wrist.

"Johnny's just parking up, he's got the buttonholes." He informed his mum, who had been manhandled back into position by Maria, the hairdresser now winding a piece of her hair around a curling wand. "The coach picked everyone up just as planned. They're due to stop at the services but they'll be here in plenty of time." He nodded, now pulling out his phone and scrolling through the message. "And gran and grandad are just checking in."

She gave a relieved nod, allowing herself to relax for a moment. So far so good. Grateful that Ali had been on hand to help with organisation, as opposed to Ryan who was now raiding their minibar, she couldn't help the swell of pride in her chest, accompanied by the dull ache as she brought her fingertips to rest over the tiny heart necklace she'd fastened around her neck that morning. They were here. All of her family. All of her boys.

 **IXIXIXI**

"Carla if you don't stop twitching you're going to end up looking like the bride of flaming Frankenstein!" Kate scolded, removing the mascara brush away from her sister's face for the third time as Carla's eyes glanced down at her phone once more. "Will you relax? Everyone's here!"

The older woman let out a huff and looked towards the ceiling, remaining perfectly still to allow Kate to coat her lashes. The door opened and Jenny bustled in, a bottle of champagne grasped firmly in her clutches.

"Morning! Your dad's just handing buttonholes to the lads. Ooh, are you excited?" She gushed, not giving any of them chance to answer before she was popping the champagne, the cork flying out and hitting the window opposite with a sharp rap. "Oops!" The landlady sang out, placing her thumb over the lip of the bottle when the liquid started to fizz over slightly.

Kate mumbled under her breath and continued to work on Carla's make-up.

"You know I could have done my own." Carla commented, not ungratefully, just worrying that Kate had herself to get ready too.

"I know but I went on that beauty course that I told Maria about and I figured we might as well utilise my skills!" She grinned, instructing Carla to close her eyes while she spritzed a light layer of fixing spray over her skin. "There, have a look! Come around here Jenny and tell me what you think."

Carla peered unto the mirror, where her face had been covered in a light layer of foundation, bronzed just enough to give her a glow. The natural contour of her cheeks had been highlighted and her eyes had a delicate dusting of golden browns over the lids. The deeper, warmer tones Kate had used on the outer edges made the green in her eyes pop. She'd opted for a nude, tinted lip balm, something subtle that wouldn't distract from her eyes or smear, one that she could keep with her and reapply before the photos.

"And it'll lock in the moisture for when you're, uh, locking lips with someone else." She winked, admiring her work in the reflection of the mirror.

"Oh, Carla, you look stunning!" Jenny clapped, handing her a generous measure of champagne before offering Kate the same. "When's Maria coming through?"

"Right now," The hairdresser's voice sounded as she let herself into the room, wheeling a small box in with her where she immediately started to sort through the different combs, brushes, hair sectioning tools and sprays.

"You've finished Michelle already?" Carla asked, feeling her stomach begin to stir once more. Perhaps champagne wasn't the best idea on an empty stomach— she'd been far too nervous for breakfast and had picked at the toast Kate ordered to the room.

"Yeah, she's about ready to do her make-up now."

"Oh, I better go and see if she needs a hand." Kate dropped a kiss on the top of Carla's head and promised her sister that she'd be back before it was time for her to head down.

Carla nodded and stared back into the mirror, keeping still so that Maria could tug the brush through her hair. She must not have been as inconspicuous as she thought because Maria frowned and set the brush aside.

"Are you scared?"

The older brunette looked at her through the reflection and pressed her lips together, wondering if this should be awkward. It didn't feel awkward. A lot of time had passed.

"It's just nerves." Carla shrugged, picking up her champagne and taking a meagre sip from it. "It's a big day."

"It's going to be fine," The younger woman assured her, declining the offer of a drink from Jenny. "Michelle's nervous too, but she's excited."

Carla nodded in response, calming slightly at her words, though wished she could nip through and see the younger woman.

"That's what's missing." She suddenly commented, causing the other two women to exchange confused glances. "Well, I've normally got 'Chelle here, haven't I? She's usually goading me with champagne and helping me get ready, holding my hand and giving me a pep talk. This is weird, her not being here for this part." She actually let out a slight laugh at the bizarreness of the situation, the part of her was actually missing having the other woman there.

"Well she'll be holding your hand soon enough. At the end of the aisle." Maria reminded her and the thought sent another surge of nerves to flow to her stomach. But there was excitement too, she couldn't deny that, and an unwavering feeling of happiness. So she tried to relax as Maria curled her hair, styled it into light waves and weaved a double braid around the crown of her head, securing a silver tiara in place. It was delicate and subtle, fascinated with miniature pearls that mimicked the pattern of the tiny pieces of Queen Anne's lace that Maria started to fuss with, arranging them decoratively into the braid. After a few final tweaks and rearranging, the hairdresser seemed satisfied and Carla closed her eyes while liberal amounts of styling spray was used to secure the hold.

"Right, I think it's time for the dress."

With shaking hands, Carla unzipped the dress cover that was laid out carefully on the bed and took herself into the bathroom to change.

"Deep breaths." She murmured to herself, fiddling with the material, trying to find the part where her head went through. It was only when it was securely on her body that she stepped back into the bedroom so Maria could help her fasten it at the back.

It was beautiful. With a modest sweetheart neckline, the ballgown style dipped in flatteringly at her waist, before flowing over her figure in layers of high quality ivory tulle and chiffon. The entirety of the bust and upper half was embellished with delicate lace, which continued down the first third of the gown before tapering off. It began again towards the end, bordering the hem of the dress, which gave way to a subtle train that swept a little behind her. The straps wrapping around her shoulders consisted of the same matching lace and when she finally donned her veil with the help of Maria, Jenny was blowing her nose audibly into a napkin.

"You look amazing."

"Johnny! Where the hell have you been?" Carla jumped at the sound of his voice and was further relieved so see he was accompanied by Roy. "And you! I'm bricking it."

Johnny laughed while the cafe owner attempted to stutter an apology. Apparently they'd been overseeing the final decorations of the function room, and by overseeing Carla assumed they meant getting in the way.

"We came to give you these." Johnny nodded to the box he'd walked in with. Flowers. The bouquet was composed of creamy white roses, lily of the valley and, to complete the theme, more Queen Anne's lace. It was tied with an ivory satin ribbon, silky against her skin when she took the flowers into her hands.

"And this." Roy was extracting a small box from his pocket. "Johnny informed me you had satisfactory items to compose of something new, old and blue." Carla glanced towards the bracelet on her wrist, the one that had been created with the material from one of Aidan's old ties. She was wearing the sapphire necklace, the stone resting elegantly against her chest. "But I thought you might want to borrow this."

Taking the box from him, Carla flipped the lid and smiled, trying not to let the tears work their way to the front of her eyes. It was one of Hayley's broaches, a subtle and simple but beautifully cut crystal, mimicking a flower or snowflake. It glinted when it hit the light and she gave a tiny nod, swallowing the bubble that had formed in her throat.

"Thank you, I'll take care of it." Carla whispered, before stepping forward and pulling the cafe owner into a firm hug. She attached it right in the dip of the neckline, giving it a central place in her day. She suddenly felt better; the people who were missing were here in a way.

"Kate's been a while." Maria frowned, stepping out of the bathroom in her own dress. A floor length chiffon gown with a fitted top half embellished with sequins. The mild blushed taupe went perfectly with her tanned skin and Carla was sure the colour would have a similar effect on Kate.

"Sorry, sorry!" Kate came through the door not a moment later, already dressed with a warm blush to her cheeks, her eyes sparkling excitedly. "Rana's in with Michelle we got chatting—" she began, before clapping eyes on her sister, her hands flying to her mouth. "Carla, you look beautiful!"

 **IXIXIXI**

Michelle was stood directly in front of the mirror, her cheeks puffing out as she released a breath, trying to calm her nerves. She'd had one glass of fizz and sensibly decided to call it a morning. The same couldn't be said for Ryan, who'd probably racked up a hefty room bill and was now happily picking at a packet of peanuts he'd opened up. Ali had nipped off downstairs with Rana, the two of them overseeing the seating of guests and the brunette was anxiously waiting for her parents to make an appearance.

"Michelle will you behave picking at your hair!" Maria scolded, catching the woman red handed as she reappeared into her room, closing the door behind her. She'd spent a good chunk of the morning winding Michelle's hair into an intricate side braid, teasing out a few tendrils to frame the other side of her face. Having stolen more tiny pieces from the bouquets, matching decorative floral flowers had been weaved into her hair and the brunette had yet to stop scrutinising the placement of it.

"You look gorgeous, you both do, please leave it alone." Maria practically begged, pouring herself another glass of champagne, looking slightly harassed; courtesy of her two fussy brides.

"You've seen Carla properly then?" Michelle hinted, though the hairdresser, like her cousin, had been reluctant to spill any information.

"Yeah, I have. She looks absolutely stunning."

"No change there." Michelle smiled, glancing down at her own dress, which she'd been assured went together quite nicely with Carla's. The bridal gown was of full, ivory lace and fitted close to her frame, carving out her trim figure. It continued up her chest with high neck detailing and capped sleeves and Michelle had insisted that this was the reason she'd needed some kind of up-do, in order to show off the gown to its full potential. With the help of Kate she'd kept her make-up relatively neutral; soft, smoky browns framing her eyes, matching the tones of hazel in them, a delicate peachy blush across her cheeks and a light layer of lipgloss.

"Mum?" Michelle span back around, turning to Ali who had appeared in the doorway. He had a warm smile across his face and was walking towards her, holding what looked like a mainly white marble bracelet, with black flecks in some of the spheres. "Tourmalinated Quartz." He articulated, taking her hand and gently sliding it onto her wrist. "It's supposed to bring you powerful luck, not that you need it, but I had it when I was doing my exams and I passed with flying colours. Kate mentioned you still needed something borrowed."

"Come here, you." Michelle murmured, wrapping her arms around his taller frame and pulling him into a tight hug. "I love you so much, you know? It means everything that you're here with me today." She stood on tiptoe to press a kiss to his cheek.

"I love you too, and you look lovely—both of you." He nodded towards Maria and then he informed the two that he was going back downstairs to continue in helping getting all the guests directed to seats.

"Oh he's so charming, that one." Maria grinned, unfazed by the pointed glare Michelle was aiming in her direction.

"Right, I've got something borrowed, something new and blue, I just need something—"

"Old! Here we are!" A thick Irish accent was broadcasted into the room as her parents entered, looking flushed but pleased with themselves about something.

"You took your time!"

"Well, we didn't want to be getting in the way. And your Ma here forgot something, so we had a mad dash back fifteen minutes after we set off!" He let slip, much to the chagrin of Helen, who accepted drinks from Maria and shot her husband a glowering frown.

"Something old, was it?" Helen smiled warmly at her daughter, taking her hand and depositing something into it. "I think Maria here will be able to help us out."

Laying in the flat of her palm was a dainty hair pin; a splay of filigree leaves and silvery branches topped with little white pearls. Maria carefully took it from Michelle and inserted into the side of her hair opposite the braid, making sure pieces of her silky hair overlapped and hid the base of the clip.

"Oh look at you," Helen whispered, suddenly extremely tearful and the younger brunette was finding that today, her own emotions were set to go off at even the slightest display of anyone else's. "You look so beautiful."

"Simply stunning." Barry nodded, before adding in smoothly. "Just like you on our wedding day, dear."

They all chuckled, Michelle rolling her eyes at the pair, before they all made time to gather any last minute pieces, including Michelle's bouquet, Maria's clutch bag and Barry confidently stowed away a box of confetti into his pocket, while Helen adjusted his white rose button hole for him. Maria checked the time on her phone and quickly typed a message out. Less than a minute after, the door opened (people had long since stopped knocking) and Kate appeared, practically vibrating with excitement.

"It's time!" She squealed, her own flower bouquet quivering as she bounced on her heels. Through the doorway Michelle could see Johnny, standing guard outside Carla's door, so he knew when the coast was clear.

Michelle felt the whoosh of nerves hit hard and sudden, the return of them causing her knees to weaken for a moment.

"Oh God, it's really happening."

 **IXIXIXI**

Michelle was jittery, couldn't keep still as she fidgeted outside of the left hand entrance. She could ready hear the mumble of chatter from the guests who were gathered in the room she hadn't even peered into since the day before. Trembling from head to foot and knowing that Carla was at the opposite side, standing at the right hand entrance with Johnny, quite possibly in a similar state to herself, knowing that she wouldn't see her until she'd had her own journey down the aisle and was watching Carla make her way towards her to begin the next part of their lives together was causing her head to swim.

Then she heard it, the opening note to their music and her heart stopped altogether.

"Oh God. Oh god. Dad, please don't let me fall." Her teeth chattered slightly as she spoke and Barry gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, holding his arm out for her to link.

"It's going to be absolutely fine, my darling. You're going to enjoy every single moment and you deserve this."

He opened the door just a fraction, receiving a thumbs up from Kate who had made it down the aisle with Maria, both of them stood to one side of the alter.

Soft piano tones and a melodic voice infiltrated her ears the moment she stepped through the door, her eyes fixed on the aisle she was now attempting to walk down. She focused on the words, remembering to slow her steps.

 _From the way you smile to the way you look;_

 _You capture me unlike no other;_

 _From the first hello, yeah that's all it took;_

 _And suddenly we had each other_

Her first couple of steps were shaky, Barry supporting her fully with a firm and steady arm as he began to guide her down the aisle.

 _So don't ever think I need more;_

 _I've got the one to live for;_

 _No one else will do;_

 _I'm telling you_

There were happy smiles as she passed, she picked out a few factory faces; Sean giving her a subtle thumbs up, friends she'd grown close to from working at the Bistro, everyone on their feet to watch her make her entrance. She smiled back at them brightly, finding her face split of its own accord. It was okay, she could do this. It was getting easier now.

 _Just put your heart in my hands;_

 _I promise it won't get broken;_

 _We'll never forget this moment;_

The front row consisted of Jenny, Helen, Ryan, Ali, Rana and Roy. They were all beaming at her and she nodded to them, her eyes sparkling now she could see they were nearing he alter. When they reached the elegant marble platform, she received reassuring looks from Kate and Maria, keeping her back to the guests. It wasn't time to turn around. Not just yet. Barry had mercifully kept his arm linked in hers and she could sense him turning his head.

 _From the heat of night;_

 _To the break of day;_

 _I'll keep you safe;_

 _And hold you forever;_

"Johnny, I'm bricking it here." Carla hissed quietly, the two of them appearing from the right entrance. The first thing her eyes found was the back of Michelle and her steps faltered slightly. If she turned now Carla was certain Johnny would need to carry her down the aisle.

"Just walk, you've got this." He assured her, firing off smiles as they continued towards the front.

Her heart was thrumming so hard in her chest. Never, never in a million years when she'd cried her confession of love for the other woman, tearfully, messily, full of fear and confusion, had she ever thought they'd be here right now. With their family and friends. About to promise the rest of their life to one another. It was overwhelming and she could feel a lump forming in her throat which she forced down sharpish. She still had vows to stutter out, there was no way she was going to pieces just yet.

 _And sparks will fly;_

 _They will never fade;_

 _Because everyday gets better and; better;_

'Too right it does', Carla thought to herself with the first smile she'd managed since beginning her walk, her tense emotions finally allowing her a smidge of relief.

She was a little under halfway down before she saw Barry move his head towards Michelle. Any moment now.

"Michelle turn around now, darling. She's here."

The younger brunette braced herself, blinked tears well and truly back before following her fathers instructions and finally spinning to face the other woman.

It was no use.

Pulling her emotions back hadn't worked in the slightest because as soon as she clapped eyes on Carla, moisture gathered in her eyes and dropped down her cheeks. She pressed a shaking hand to her mouth, stopping herself from making any noise. A cry? A laugh? She wasn't sure what it was that bubbled in her throat.

"She's beautiful, oh god she's truly beautiful."

Michelle found Carla's eyes and the other brunette's brow creased in reassurance, her gaze softening as she noticed her fiancée had clearly lost the battle against her overflowing feelings.

"I love her so much." Carla whispered, for only Johnny to hear, although he was pretty sure his daughter was mainly speaking to herself. Her voice was uneven, breath shaking as they neared one another. Almost there. "She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

 _Just put you heart in my hands;_

 _I promise it won't get broken;_

 _We'll never forget this moment;_

 _It will stay brand new;_

 _Because I'll love you;_

 _Over and over again;_

 _Over and over again_

They were stood directly opposite one another, the muscles in Carla's throat twitching with her effort to keep her composure. It was with nothing that could be described as anything other than the highest form of pride that Barry and Johnny; who now each held their daughter's hands, gently guided them closer to one another until finally they could hold each other's. Michelle's hand enclosed around Carla's tightly, desperately and she could feel the tremble in her body. She used her thumb to gently circle the back of Michelle's hand, comforting her, trying to relax her as Johnny and Barry shook one another's hand and made their way back to their seats.

With both hands now free, Carla reached out again for her fiancée's other one, which she gave her all too gratefully.

"Hi, baby." She whispered softly, which caused Michelle's lower lip to tremble.

"You're so beautiful." The younger woman managed to articulate, unable to tear her gaze away from the reassuring warmth of Carla's.

"So are you, I think I forgot how to breathe when I saw you."

That tiny exchange was about all they managed before he music tapered off. They hadn't even noticed their minister, who looked quite young, though that was possible due to his full face, rosy cheeks and a slightly floppy mass of blonde curls on top of his head. Against a background of white roses, Carla thought he reminded her a little bit of a cherub and she had to bite back the ridiculous urge to laugh. She suddenly felt a whole lot lighter, the anxiety that had been residing in her chest has dissipated as soon as Michelle's fingers had wound round her own.

"Friends and family of the brides," the minister began, a thousand watt smile across his face as he spread out his arms. "Welcome and thank you for being here on this day of utmost importance."

Kate exchanged an excited glance with Maria, both of them giving Carla, who was positioned in a way that she was facing them, a reassuring nod.

"We are gathered here today on this joyous occasion, to celebrate the love between Michelle and Carla by joining them in marriage." He paused, probably for effect more than anything, although it did give a moment for Jenny to start fussing with the tissues in her lap, beginning to offer them down the row. "Marriage is many things, it's a commitment, a promise, a vow to make a conscious decision to continue to make a relationship blossom and grow, even though the hard times, the trying times where love will be tested." He continued articulately, his smooth and practiced tone carrying to the back of the room, echoing slightly off the marble around them. "There's different kinds of love, most, if not all, of which are represented today in this room. Not just by our two wonderful brides but by their friends and family who are here to celebrate. There's romantic love, the love of siblings, the love between family, parent and child, love among friends."

At his words, Johnny reached out and clapped his hands on both Ryan and Ali's shoulders, attracting the attention of the two women at the alter where he offered them both a reassuring wink. They looked nervous, but they were glowing. Their eyes fell in the front row, scanning from him, to Jenny, across to Barry and Helen who were both already looking teary. He turned his attention back to the minister who was speaking again.

"Not only do we have a representation of romantic love, but here are two people who are firmly the best of friends. It is from the roots of this friendship in which love blossomed and created the foundations which will allow them to build and sustain their marriage."

Ryan raised his eyebrows, looking mildly impressed as he gave Ali a slight nudge.

"Where did they find this one? He's a bit theatrical isn't he?" He smirked quietly, while the other man rolled his eyes and tried to keep his own face straight.

"Well they are dramatic aren't they? Anyway you oughta be taking note— this is song writing gold."

The light haired man behind the alter gave a final nod towards the seated audience, before turning to the two women and addressing them directly. "Michelle and Carla, your marriage today is the public and legal joining of your souls that have already been united as one in your hearts. The love from the people you have chosen to share your declaration of solidarity with will help to support the promises you make to one another today. Are you both ready?"

With blood pulsing in her ears, Michelle turned to Carla who offered her a reassuring smile, nodding her head. She was reading first and the younger woman looked on the verge of collapse. In a bid to calm her down, Carla began stroking over her hands once more. The comfort and familiarity of the gesture seemed to bring the younger brunette back out of herself and she turned to the minister, nodding in response to his question.

"Michelle and Carla have prepared their own vows that they wish to share."

Allowing herself a final, deep breath to try and calm the nervous ache in her gut, the younger woman found Carla's eyes and started to speak.

"I remember when we were younger, we used to say we'd have a joint wedding. We used to sit on my bed, looking through magazines and point out what we'd wear, how we'd have our hair, what was on the menu. Every last detail. Of course, back then, it was always some handsome, rich fella we'd be marrying." She let out a gentle laugh that was lost in the chuckles from their friends and family, while Carla rolled her eyes, a hum of humour escaping her own mouth at the irony. "And over the years our tastes changed; I no longer wanted my hair down, you no longer wanted a dress too fitted; you were worried it'd restrict your steps and you'd trip up down the aisle and I didn't want my hair obscuring my face in the photos." She bit her lip, remembering the time she'd wound an old bed sheet around the older brunette in an attempt to create an idea of what her perfect gown would look like and Carla had taken three steps in it before face planting the floor. Sometimes Michelle can still feel the way that, after realising Carla was okay, her sides ached with laughter as they'd rolled about on her floor in hysterics. When she met Carla's eyes, they were alight with the same memory and they shared one of their secret smiles. "But no matter how much things changed, there was always one element of our big day that stayed the same; we always wanted one another there. It was always our day, always about us together. I could never imagine getting married without you." Michelle pressed her lips together for a moment, gathering herself in order to say the next part of the speech she'd spent hours and hours going over in her head. "I don't know what I believe about higher beings or fate but I do believe that where we are right now is the reason for it all. This day was always meant to be ours." Her grip on the older brunette's hands tightened for a second and Carla offered her an encouraging smile through glassy eyes. "Seeing you walk down the aisle to me was one of those moments where everything made sense. I am honoured to be the person allowed to stand here, vowing to protect you, support you, love you and I will honour those promises each moment of every day for the rest of my life. I love you, Carla. Unconditionally." Her voice had shook towards the end, broken slightly on her final word but she'd done it. A single tear slid down her cheek and Carla dropped one of her hands to brush it away. Michelle sniffed and took a calming breath, straightening her posture before reaching for her hand again. If she went to pieces, it was likely that Carla wouldn't get through her own vows and so she managed to get a hold of herself as the other woman cleared her throat.

The nerves that had danced in Michelle's eyes were now flooding into her features. Bossing a group of machinists around and business presentations about lace and fabric were one thing, but publicly speaking in a way that was honest and raw, airing her feelings for everyone to hear was exposing vulnerability that Carla usually kept for Michelle's ears only and the younger woman had so much respect and pride for her fiancée as she began her turn.

"I never imagined I'd be here again and I know some of you might be sat there thinking 'she must just really love wedding cake'," she had to pause, owing to the light hearted laughter that rippled around the room. Carla was almost glad of it, because she found the lump in her throat forming a lot sooner than she'd anticipated and it was nice to be able to take a second to breathe. "But the truth is I've never loved anything, or anyone, as much as this person stood right here in front of me." Meeting the younger woman's eyes, she saw they were filling once more and she marvelled at the control she had to have been able to get through her own vows. Seeing her lower lip tremble with the effort to keep her tears at bay was spurring on the ones rapidly gathering in her own eyes. "I was worried about writing these vows, I've never really been good with this kind of thing, at least not without the help of google." There was another murmur of laughter and Carla took a second deep breath before continuing. "But it wasn't that I didn't know where to start, I found I didn't know when to stop. How do I sum up how much I love you in just a few sentences, when it's an infinite amount? How can I summarise a lifetime of memories, when every moment I've spent with you has been so special? I wish it hadn't taken me being apart from you for so long to make me realise just how big a piece of me was missing, to make me realise just _what_ was missing. It took so much heartbreak and loss, to see exactly what had been in front of me all along. But I can promise you now that there won't be anymore." Carla blinked again, swallowing before meeting the other woman's eyes. She waited for the clouded hazel ones to clear, because right now she had a promise to make and she wanted to say it directly to her. Though her heart was hammering, she no longer felt nervous about speaking in front of the guests, they seemed to have melted away because this part was for Michelle and she needed to see Carla meant it. "I promise you while there's breath in my body that I'm going to love you. No matter what happens, I swear I'll be right next to you. Almost three decades with you hasn't nearly been enough; I want forever."

There was a moment of silence when she'd finished, she'd rendered their friends and family utterly flabbergasted with her words. No one in their wildest concocted daydreams, not even in jest, would have predicted that Carla Connor would deliver vows as sincere and stunning as she had. The silence was permeated with the rustling of tissue packets, a distant sniff or two. If she'd have been looking at anyone other than the woman in front of her, she might have seen how their bridesmaids were desperately dabbing beneath one another's eyes, trying to erase any smudged mascara. Johnny had already offered Jenny his handkerchief and was batting with his own emotion.

Michelle hadn't even noticed that the rest of the room was just as transfixed as she was, she kept having to blink to clear her vision so she wouldn't lose sight of Carla, whose hands were gripping hers as though she was the only one rooting her to the ground. The younger brunette thought she herself might have actually hit the ground if it wasn't for the way their hands were clasped together.

"Do you have the rings?"

Taking his cue, Ryan rose to his feet, his chest puffed out in pride as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny, silk drawstring bag, emptying the wedding bands into his palm.

It was a surreal moment, exchanging their official vows. The ones Carla had delivered to her had been beautiful, special and she was sure she'd never forget them until her dying day but repeating her name after the minister, speaking out to the entirety of the room made it very real. Carla was shaking, she could see the very visible tremor in her hands when she held them out, allowing Michelle to slide the ring onto her finger. She brushed her thumb over the back of it in reassurance, holding her own up so the other woman could mirror her actions.

"It's okay," Michelle whispered softly, knowing why Carla would be particularly affected, how hard it must be for her to push back the anxiety that something would scupper their happy day. They were nearly there now.

"In the presence of your family and friends, you have united yourselves in marriage by the joining of hands and exchange of rings. In regards to the promise of commitment you have pledged to one another, I declare your marriage is legal and binding. I am hereby able to joyfully pronounce you as wife and wife."

It felt like the entire room had been collectively holding their breath, the two brides included. The moment the minister had given them their official titles, Carla threw her arms around the other woman who was still frozen in awe. It took a second for Michelle's brain to kick in, to start sending signals to the rest of her body. It was the roar of cheers that jolted her back to reality, the thunderous applause, the tightening of Carla's grip that caused her to finally release a gasp.

"Oh my god, we did it. We're married." She whispered, eyes wide, mouth slightly parted.

"Yeah, yeah we did. We are. Come here." Carla placed her hands either side of the younger woman's cheeks and pulled her in, connecting their lips together. She didn't know which of them released the sob against the kiss, there were tears streaming down her own cheeks and the cheers had only got louder, the high ceiling and marble surfaces amplifying the sound. She was sure they weren't the only ones crying, positive she could hear Jenny howling. Michelle's arms were wrapped firmly around her waist, trying to pull her as close as possible through the restrictive layers of chiffon and lace.

"It's a good job I've brought down spare make-up, look at the state of us all." It was Maria's voice that broke through the quietening cheers, prompting the two women to break apart. They reached up at the same time to lightly brush away one another's tears, assessing the damage and concluding it wasn't anything too dire. Michelle dipped in for another kiss, this one brief but she hovered close enough by Carla's ear to whisper to her afterwards.

"I love you."

The other woman looked at her, looked at her _wife._ The thought caused her stomach to flip in excitement and she couldn't help but pull her in again to return the sentiment.

"Oh alright, alright! You're milking it now!" Ryan grinned, having made his way towards them. He hugged Michelle first, kissing her forehead. "Congratulations mum... and _mum._ " He teased, turning to Carla with a smirk before holding his arms out. The brunette woman rolled her eyes but accepted, the beam across her face dazzling. "Don't look now but soft lad over there couldn't deal with the emotion." He chuckled, nodding over to where he'd been sat with Ali, calling over to him. "Do you need another hanky there, precious?"

"Nah, it's alright. I blew my nose on yours." Ali shot back good naturedly, joining his family in order to offer his congratulations.

There wasn't anymore time for hugs and well wishes; Carla and Michelle were due to lead the guests out into the hotel grounds for photos. The inrto the song they'd walked down the aisle to began to play once more and the younger brunette held out her hand, lacing her fingers through Carla's.

"Has it sunk in yet?" She asked Michelle, her thumb stroking against her index finger as they began to walk back along the aisle together, towards the main entrance of the room.

"Not at all. I feel like I'm about to wake up and I don't want to because this is the best dream I've ever had."

"Well you're not dreaming, that's for certain." Carla murmured softly, turning to face her with her eyes shining once more. "But you are my wife."

Michelle's gait faltered she came to an abrupt stop, the words hitting her unexpectedly hard when they came from Carla's mouth. Forgetting that they were supposed to be leading their guests out and ignoring the impatient groan from one of her sons, she wrapped her arms around the other brunettes neck, her lower lip trembling. "I'm your wife," she nodded, and those words were fine. She'd been someone's wife before. She tried the next phrase. "And you're _my_ wife." There it was, the warmth spreading across her chest, butterflies in her stomach, the complete perfect madness of it. "My wife." She murmured, repeating the phrase again, trying to get used to the formation of the sound against her tongue. Carla was watching her in bemusement, a splitting grin spreading across her cheeks. The younger woman's brow was furrowed, a hint of bewilderment across her features. She glanced up at Carla, the green in her eyes vibrant under the chandelier, the smile of unfiltered, authentic joy that was aimed at her causing her heart to leap. "You're my wife!"

Carla spluttered with laughter, wrapping her arm around Michelle to keep them moving, albeit slowly. "Please, never get tired of saying that."

 **IXIXIXI**

"Whose smart idea was it to get married in the middle of winter?" Ryan huffed as they made their way down into the function room. It had been a long process, assembling the groups for photos and while the majority of guests had been able to enjoy the warmth of the hotel, the Connor's had had the pleasure of standing in the icy air being tweaked and nudged into place by the fussy photographer. "It's bloody freezing!" He was rubbing his hands together, blowing hot air into them in an attempt to warm himself up.

"Now who's precious?" Ali smirked from behind him, squaring his shoulders and adjusting his tie smugly. "I thought it was refreshing."

"Get lost, you're practically blue!"

Most of the guests had already found their respective seats and as Michelle and Carla weaved around them to get to their own, they were offered sincere congratulations, compliments on their dresses, comments about how beautiful their decorations were. They knew they'd have to find time to greet and thank each of their guests properly after the meal, but for now they were thankful to be seated, side by side, able to finally relax. Carla shuffled closer to Michelle and let her chin rest on the other woman's shoulder, a content sigh leaving her lips.

"Hey, you. What're you thinking about?" Michelle turned to her and dropped a soft kiss against her forehead.

"Remember when you said we sounded like an old married couple?"

"Then you said with our choice in men, we could do worse?"

"And you told me if you were 'that way inclined', you'd be marrying me instead?"

They were both unable to contain their laughter, leaning towards one another until their heads lightly bumped.

"It's kind of corny and cliche isn't it? Marrying your best friend." Michelle teased gently, nudging her nose against Carla's, prompting her tilt her head.

"Guys, I know it's your wedding day but we are about to have—"

Before Ryan could even finish his sentence, the two had connected in a firm kiss, not passionate enough to be deemed inappropriate but certainly not the type they usually displayed in public.

"—dinner." He finished with a groan, concentrating exceptionally hard on the cutlery in front of him. Although he wasn't seated next to either of them, Helen and Barry had been waylaid chatting to Sean, who they'd become quite friendly with since their last visit to Weatherfield. This meant Ryan and Ali were bearing the brunt of of the newly wed's overly affectionate display. Carla had moved her hand to cup Michelle's jaw, her lips still moving against the younger brunette's with too much enthusiasm.

"Oi, save it for the honeymoon suite!" Maria grimaced, pretending to cover up Liam's eyes, who was sat beside her absorbed in a game that she'd allowed him to play on her phone in an attempt to keep him occupied.

At the mention of their evening's sleeping quarters, Carla pulled back and dipped her head, looking up at Michelle from beneath her lashes, a sultry smile forming across her lips, her teeth pulling at her lower one.

"Okay, now I really want to know what you're thinking." Michelle whispered breathlessly, only for the other brunette to shake her head.

"You'll see." Was all she said.

 **IXIXIXI**

Johnny was trying to catch Carla and Michelle's eye. The chatter that was filling the room had grown louder in the last ten minutes and he took that as a sign that everyone had near enough finished eating.

"Oh look at him, he's fit to burst let him speak!" Michelle laughed, giving Carla a gentle nudge who had been smirking as she pretended to be oblivious to the hint he was dropping.

Clearing his throat importantly, he rose to his feet and tapped his fork against his wine glass. The chatter simmered down almost immediately.

"Just before we open the bar—because we all know that's the good bit—" Johnny grinned, breaking off due to the mock cheers that filled the room. "I asked Carla and Michelle if I could make a speech and they were gracious enough to let me." He pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket and a faint whisper of 'oh, here we go', from a voice that sounded suspiciously like Kate's could be heard down the table. "I'm standing here feeling proud as punch right now, looking as these two amazing, strong and beautiful women." He gestured towards the two, their cheeks a little pink from the onslaught of compliments and attention. "I mean they've lead us all on a right merry dance haven't they? They couldn't have worked this out years ago and saved everyone a bit of hassle— not to mention a new suit or two!" He teased them, causing Carla to shake her head and the room to erupt into laughter. Clearly the meal wine had been flowing because Johnny wasn't as funny as the volume of it warranted. "But in all seriousness, I really can't think of two people more deserving of the happiness they have found. I can't think of a family who needed this more. A wedding, while a happy occasion is usually one that most fathers, those ones with daughters, anticipate somewhat sadly. Because when it comes to giving our girls away, it suddenly hits you that you really don't want to let them go. They're our little girls and we want to protect them, look after them and I know that I've not always been there for mine, but I've just handed her to the person who always has. That's why, on this occasion, it's one of the happiest days of my life and I'm sure Barry and Helen will agree with me when I say that I have no doubt in my mind that my girl will be looked after and so deeply and fiercely loved." Michelle's parents nodded sincerely and their solid approval meant the world to Carla especially, whose eyes had welled up. Michelle slid her arm around her shoulders and kissed the side off her head, allowing her lips to linger there. "Your story is inspiring and brings hope to every one of us sat here; to those of us who are in love, knowing it can grow and last as long as it's cherished and to those waiting for find love, it may be unexpected, closer than you think and when you find it hang onto it like these two have."

Johnny was clearly proud of this speech, must have spent ages perfecting and practising it and there was more than an element of surprise around the top table about the words that had spilled from his mouth, the raw sincerity of them. Two Connors in one day shocking them to their core.

"To Carla and Michelle!" Johnny had picked up his glass and raised it, prompting the rest of the room to do the same. The chorus followed more cheering and a round of applause, Carla wiping beneath her eyes and thanking her dad for such a heartfelt speech.

The waiting staff were hastening to pull the curtains that had been drawn and Ryan's eyes lit up, having been told he could DJ part of the event providing the songs he chose were appropriate and not all 'that horrible techno whining rubbish' as Carla had so eloquently put it. He clamoured from the table immediately and headed down to the corner opposite the bar, though knew there was one extremely important job that he was being relied on for, before he could start to really begin the party music. With a nod of his head, the main lights in the room dimmed, so they were left with nothing but the fairy lights that adorned the walls and the chandelier on the ceiling.

It was quiet again in the room and Carla suddenly knew what was happening, her stomach cramping with nerves again.

"Hi, everyone!" Ryan's confident voice was magnified through the microphone he was speaking into. "Before we get to the decent music, Michelle and Carla— my wonderful mum and equally wonderful step-mum-slash-aunty—" he chuckled, causing Michelle to groan slightly and roll her eyes. "Are going to have their first dance."

There was a buzz of excitement from the main table, their family grinning encouragingly at them. They linked hands and Michelle took the lead, helping Carla from her seat and guiding her down to the polished, marble floor.

Mellow piano keys were began to play throughout the vicinity, just enough echo to carry the music throughout the room without the need for a more intense volume. Carla looked nervous again, probably more about performing in front of one of their bigger audiences.

 _I've waited a hundred years_

 _But I'd wait a million more for you_

Michelle gently wound her arm around her waist and pulled her closer, meeting her eyes, a reassuring warmth reflected there and Carla felt the tenseness in her muscles ease. They could do this, just like they'd practiced together so many times before in the privacy of their bedroom, the living room, the kitchen, whenever one of them had aimlessly taken hold of the other with no prior warning and pulled them in to dance.

 _Nothing prepared me for;_

 _What the privilege of being yours would do;_

Tiny dots of light sparkled in the hazel hues in front of her, tiny glowing stars that were a mirror image of the vast chandelier twinkling above them and Carla raised her palm, instinctively meeting Michelle's. They allowed their hands to stay pressed together for a second, enjoying the delicate warmth of one another's skin before lacing their fingers together in a firm but tender hold.

 _If I had only felt the warmth within your touch;_

 _If I had only seen how you smile when you blush;_

They were swaying together now, slowly. Carla's other hand was resting on the younger woman's shoulder, who suddenly stepped closer to bring them flush together.

 _Or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough;_

 _Well I would have known;_

 _What I was living for all along;_

They broke apart for a moment, stretching out until they were holding one another at arms length before Carla curled herself back into Michelle's body, her back pressed against her front. She felt her arms wrap around her and sweep her hair to one side, leaving a gentle kiss where her shoulder met the base of her neck.

 _Your love is my turning page;_

 _Where only the sweetest words remain;_

 _Every kiss is a cursive line;_

 _Every touch is a redefining phrase;_

Reaching back carefully, Carla stroked her fingertips down the younger woman's cheek, along her jawline, still holding her when she twisted herself around and draped both arms over her shoulders, settling her hands at the back of her neck.

 _I surrender who I've been for who you are;_

 _For nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart;_

 _If I had only felt how it feels to be yours;_

 _Well I would have known;_

 _What I've been living for all along;_

They were back to swaying together by this point, Michelle's forehead dipping and connecting with Carla's lightly nudging their noses together. The older brunette could fully relax now, enjoy the peaceful instrumental music while being back in the Michelle's unyielding embrace. Their were tears glistening in her eyes once more.

"Hey, do you remember when we first danced together?" Carla whispered softly, her hands slipping further to the front of her neck, using the cushion of her thumbs to lightly graze along her jawline, one of them lingering and making slow circles just below her ear. Michelle's eyes fluttered shut at her affectionate actions, now so close to her that Carla could feel the warmth of her breath as she answered.

"Yes, you wanted to make sure I got my first dance. I never thought— I never imagined that—"

"I know, I know darling." She tucked a fingertip beneath Michelle's chin and brought her forward, tilting her own head until they met in an attentive kiss. It was sweet and earnest, not needing anything more to convey the boundless and immeasurable love between them. Carla wasn't sure whose tears she could feel on her skin and when she eventually pulled away she realised it was from both of them, unable to remember when her own had gathered and fallen.

"Come here," Michelle whispered, her hand finding the back of her head before guiding her down against her shoulder. Carla allowed her chin to rest there, nestled into the crook of her neck where she could smell the familiar scent of her perfume. The one she'd sprayed onto herself that morning as she'd got ready, prepared herself to marry her. Make unwavering, selfless vows and promise she'd always protect her. It was too much, her throat constricted and she let out a quiet sob, too quiet to be heard over their music but loud enough so that Michelle tightened her hold where she continued to rock her.

 _Though we're tethered by the story we must tell;_

 _When I saw you, well I knew we'd tell it well;_

 _With a whisper we will tame the vicious seas;_

 _Like a feather bringing kingdoms to their knees_

Michelle's eyes were closed, she'd been soaking up nothing but the beautiful music and the tranquillising feeling of being in the arms of the woman she'd just pledged to spend the rest of her life with. Not that she'd had any doubt, married or not, that they wouldn't anyway. Tears had dripped onto Carla's shoulder but Michelle brushed them away and as the song came to an end that was all too soon, she laced loving kisses against the older brunette's shoulder. She didn't want it to be over, that was the first dance she'd wanted all along and she'd long since realised that it couldn't have been perfect with anybody else. It had to be her. It had to be Carla.

"Thank you," Michelle suddenly whispered, prompting her wife to pull back and shoot her a look of confusion. "For everything. Making today perfect. This is truly the happiest day of my life."

"'Chelle," she choked in an attempt to reply, clearly touched by her words. "I love you," was all she said, all she had to say as they were unable to stop themselves falling back into a final embrace. "I love you."

 **IXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXI**

Carla stepped out of the bathroom, her heart still full. If she listened carefully enough, she was sure she could hear the faint pulse of music. The party had still been ongoing to some extent; Johnny had had to carry Jenny off to bed, Michelle's parents had retired not long after and those who weren't staying had began to filter out with taxi's. There were a bunch of guests who were going back by coach still happy to party on until the driver's 1am pick-up curfew and there was no way Ryan, Ali, Kate and Rana had been ready to give up dancing and drinking.

They'd spent the remainder of their evening thanking each of their guests, posing for more photographs as they cut the cake. Apparently Ali had captured their first dance on camera and she was both apprehensive and excited to see all of the memories from that day over and over again. She'd been happy to kick off her shoes, they'd been very unforgiving after a series of dancing with her sister, Ryan and her dad.

The night was far from over though and when the newly weds had announced they were heading up, a series of wolf whistles had chorused through the room, much to the discomfort of Michelle's poor sons, Ali wrinkling his nose while Ryan covered his ears. Having left with the promise they'd meet their family in the dining room the next morning for breakfast, they'd finally felt able to guiltlessly leave their reception. However Carla new the night was far from over and all she'd wanted to do all evening was have Michelle to herself.

The younger woman in question wasn't even in the room when she stepped through, the chill in the air and the lightly wafting curtains indicating the balcony door was ajar.

"What're you doing out on here it's baltic?" Carla shivered, stepping out onto the balcony and wrapping her arms around Michelle, who was stood in her dress, her skin prickling with cold.

"Just thinking." She whispered, resting her hands over Carla's, who was swaying them both. The sky was a deep, chilling navy, almost cloudless save for the silvery wisps highlighted, pretty but unforgiving. There were stars speckled across the dark blanket of blue and a glowing moon with a hazy white halo.

"Thinking about how you've made me the happiest woman in the world?" Carla whispered, her eyes fixated on the illuminated rock as she touched her lips against the side of Michelle's neck, beginning to scatter kisses across her skin.

"Hmm, ditto," the younger brunette whispered, closing her eyes and tipping her head back, exposing more of her skin to the other woman's mouth. Carla parted her lips and pressed slower and more carefully aimed kisses to the sensitive areas on her neck, beginning a purposeful path towards her ear.

"Let me show you," She spoke in a low tone, her voice husky, the sound of it causing shivers that had nothing to do with the plummeting winter temperature to wind itself down Michelle's spine. She turned around slowly, cupping Carla's cheek in her hand as she moved forward, connecting their lips together. It started slow, just the gentle pressure of one mouth against another, the delicate, chilling breeze that blew tendrils of curls around their faces dismissed when Michelle's parted and Carla deepened it. The first brush of her tongue was like the first spark to hit the tinder, an eruption of flames burning down her shoulders, settling in her and she pulled Michelle close still, beginning to walk backwards into the further warmth of their suite.

The backs of her knees hit the soft, plush sheets and she sank down onto their bed, taking Michelle with her. The younger woman's hair was already starting to slip slightly from the intricate do, after only minutes of Carla's desperate fingertips searching her face, trying to find more to hold onto, pull her closer. She skimmed over the fabric of her dress, tracing the lace with care, admiring her all over again until she found the fastening at the back and began to pull it down.

Wedding dresses were complicated and restrictive, she decided, when after a few more tries it became inevitable that they'd have to at least stand up again. As if able to read her mind, Michelle shuffled back and rose to her feet, though Carla's attempt to keep their kiss going meant that she wasn't paying much attention to the placement of her own dress and got slightly caught up in the layers of lace and chiffon, treading on her own train and stumbling into Michelle slightly.

"Carla!" She giggled, catching the other woman who'd fallen flush against her body, a chuckle spilling from her own mouth. "That eager?"

"Mm—you have no idea."

Michelle couldn't reply then, because Carla was kissing her fiercely once more, guiding the lace down the younger woman's body, revealing more of her skin inch by agonising inch. The last thing she wanted to do was damage the beautiful gown and she wanted to make sure she touched as much of her skin as possible. It prompted her to break the kiss when the dress was only halfway gone. Her hands brushed over a taut stomach, coming into contact with more lace even as the gown was suddenly pooled at her feet. She had to drop back down on the bed once more, admiring the sight in front of her. The white satin underwear she was left clad in was embroidered with elegant lace, a matching belt that covered the lower half of her stomach giving way to the straps running down each of her tanned thighs, pretty eyelash lace garters circulating them. She'd seen her like this before, seen her in less before, but each time she was still overcome. Even more so on this night, when she wanted to love every part of her.

"Do you know how much I adore you?" Carla whispered, making no secret of the fact she was drinking her in, absorbing every inch of her.

"Well you did just marry me so I think I have a firm idea." Michelle lightly teased, sliding herself into Carla's lap. The older brunette caught her chin, bringing her closer. Their lips hovered barley a hairsbreadth apart, brushing slightly when Carla whispered to her.

"I won't ever stop telling you."

It was with fierce passion once more that they evolved into a tangle of limbs and lace and it became apparent that Michelle was suddenly starting to feel just as impatient, tugging on the fastening of Carla's dress as the other woman rolled them over, pinning her against the goose down pillows. Confused at why Carla was suddenly moving away from her, she opened her mouth to protest but was stopped by a finger against her lips.

"Shhh," The older brunette whispered to her, getting to her feet once more and shrugging the straps away from her own shoulders. The way she seemed to ripple her body so that the gown fell away from her had Michelle so transfixed that for a second she hadn't even taken in the plunging sheer basque that was barely concealing her slight frame. Her eyes followed the lines of white embroidery which stood out solidly from the material. There was a solitary satin ribbon tied around one of her thighs and without even thinking Michelle reached out to try and feel the material, only to have her hand stopped by Carla's.

She slid over her once more, straddling her hips and capturing her mouth in another kiss.

"I want you." Michelle's muffled murmur reached her ears, the younger woman arching her back when Carla's deft fingertips worked at unhooking her bra.

"You've got me. Forever."

The other brunette's mouth descended to her chest, laying kisses over her collarbone, following the dip where it hollowed only to pull back again when Michelle tried to reach out and touch her.

"Not yet." She instructed, lacing their hands together, resting them above the pillow so that Michelle was forced to comply.

For a moment, anyway. The fiery brunette was just as outspoken as Carla when it came to knowing exactly what she wanted.

"Carla, _please."_ Michelle groaned through gritted teeth, trying to tug free from the other woman's grip, but she wasn't giving her an inch. "You just made a vow promising to love me. So why won't you give me what I want?" She tried, widening her eyes, her pupils blown as her lips pulled into a pout.

"I also vowed to do what's best for you. Personally, I think you could stand to learn a bit of patience. It'll do you the world of good." Carla smirked, her hands still gripping the younger brunettes wrists, holding them fast against the pillows. She rolled her hips once, torturously slow and Michelle let out a whimper at her actions, distracted for a moment by the bolt of pleasure that struck her lower stomach, spreading further, before she scoffed and rolled her eyes.

" _I_ need to learn to be patient? Do you know how hypocritical that is?"

"You say that, darling," Carla began, allowing one of her hands to loosen and trailing a lone fingertip along the inside of Michelle's arm, her nail lightly scraping along the sensitive skin of her bicep which caused her to squirm at the tickling sensation. "But right now I am exercising an enormous amount of self control. Having you under me, like _this;_ I want nothing more than to tear off the rest of what you're wearing and devour you."

"Then do it!" Michelle cried out, forgetting Carla's warning and reaching out with the hand that was now free to try and pull the other woman down to her. Only she didn't get the chance, because Carla let out three little tuts of disapproval, shaking her head as she moved back slightly, stopping Michelle's hand with her own.

"We can do it my way or the hard way." Carla whispered, her lips right by the younger brunettes ear, the heat from her words sending shivers cascading along her shoulders, rippling down her spine.

Michelle looked quizzically up at her, their eyes meeting, both of them darkened. Carla's green hues were alight with power, the younger brunette's hazy with desire. That's what it was. Both of them knew full well that if she really wanted, Michelle was just as capable of physically overpowering the other woman and taking full control of the situation. But she was playing the game and Carla knew it was driving her crazy.

"You can promise to keep them there. Or I can tie them there."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

It was a question, really. Carla was allowing her the choice, asking her permission. Every single nerve ending seemed to set alight at the thought of the older brunette putting her in that position and so Michelle purposely defied her. Tugging her hands free, she placed them either side of Carla's face and pulled her flush against her body, crashing their lips together. They kissed fiercely and Carla let herself to indulge for a moment, because refusing Michelle really did take an ungodly amount of restraint and she craved the taste of her despite having managed to hold back so far. The younger woman's hands were tangled in her hair, then sliding down her neck, brushing over her shoulders and inching further, as though to remind Carla that she'd gone against her wishes and she suddenly bit down on Michelle's lower lip, hard enough to make her gasp, cause her hands to freeze.

Seizing the opportunity, Carla took hold of them and pinned both above her head, using only one of her own hands to hold her in place. Michelle was gazing up at her, cheeks and chest flushed pink, eyes so dark they looked black in the dim lighting. Her lips were slightly parted, front teeth just resting on a bruised lower one. Carla lightly brushed her thumb along it them, knowing the reddened colour were down to the nip of her own teeth.

"Oh baby," she murmured too gently, mock sympathy flashing across her features seconds before the corners of a mouth pulled into a smirk. "I did warn you."

Dropping her hand from Michelle's mouth, she tugged at the ribbon secured around her own thigh, pulling it loose. She could hear Michelle's breath, heavy and rapid, her chest heaving and she knew how fast her heart was racing because her own was matching it. Carla began to wind it around her wrist, and just for a split second, something uncertain flickered in her eyes, a moment of hesitation that had her guard dropping for a moment to meet Michelle's, who knew at once she was checking with her. Her deeper hues softened slightly, creasing at the edges as she gave a small nod, letting her know it was okay. More than okay.

Even without the use of her hands, which Carla was winding the silky ribbon around, Michelle still managed to get at her. As soon as the older brunette had leaned over to continue to weave the tie into the intricately carved, ornate headboard, the other woman's nose had lightly bumped over the ridge of her ribs and immediately she began to press tender kisses against the delicate skin, following over each dip with the tip of her tongue.

Carla's fingertips shook slightly and she struggled for a second to finish the double knot she'd tied to make sure the ribbon stayed firmly attached to the bed, a small part of her tempted to abandon the idea and just let Michelle have her. But then the younger brunettes teeth nipped at her skin and it renewed the fire for something more. When she moved back, she didn't do anything at all. She simply admired the sight in front of her, still straddling the younger woman, her fingertips resting lightly against her stomach. Michelle's skin burned beneath them, as though she had fire coursing through her veins. Remaining silent, which only heightened the younger brunettes anticipation as her hands began to glide upwards. Carla watched intently, the way goosebumps erupted over every inch of the lightly tanned skin on display. Michelle's breath was shallow, her throat rippled with the hard swallow that came just as she thought the older woman's palms were about to slide upwards and cover her chest, but all she got were the very tips of Carla's fingers barely brushing the underside of her breasts when instead they splayed outwards and lightly danced over her ribs.

"Carla!" Michelle growled through her teeth, her tone gravelled with frustration. "Just— Just touch me. Please. I need you to."

"I am?" Carla feigned confusion, her head cocked to one side. She dug her nails into the sensitive flesh beneath them as though to prove a point. She had to fight to keep the corners of her mouth twitching, fight not to give in straight away because she was already aching with desire.

"Not like that." Michelle bit out, arching her back slightly, trying to encourage her to resume her previous journey. She pulled uselessly against the ties around her wrists, deciding if they came free she was abandoning whatever game Carla wanted to play and taking her in that instant, but she was stuck fast.

"Like this?" With no other warning, Carla's hand suddenly dipped over the arc of her chest and settled there firmly, quickly seeking out the raised bud.

Michelle's mouth snapped shut and she exhaled loudly through her nose, jaw clenched. She continued her torture, rolling and pinching, lightly at first and then harder, until she was rewarded with another murmur from the younger woman, whose eyes were scrunched up tightly. Carla dipped her head and pressed a soft kiss against the bottom of her sternum, slowly dotting them upwards, so tenderly that Michelle forgot for a second that the other woman was clearly trying to torture her. Her eyes popped open and met Carla's just as her lips pressed against her heart and the older woman felt a thrill at the rapid thrum of it beneath her mouth, knowing she was the sole cause, knowing this was the effect she had. She didn't speak, she didn't have to. Carla knew just from the way Michelle's gaze melded with hers how much she loved her, how much she trusted her even in that moment, _especially_ in that moment.

Her kisses mirrored the path her fingers had taken on the opposite side, her mouth hovering.

" _Please."_

Carla felt a thrill of pleasure ripple down her own spine at the cry that rang in her ears when she wrapped her lips around delicate skin, the very top of her tongue peeking out to trace light circles with barely a hint of pressure.

Michelle squirmed again, desperate to press her hands against the back of the other woman's head, force her closer, make her give _more._ Pursing her lips, she blew lightly and relished in the pained whimper she was rewarded with, before finally relenting and sucking the firm bud between her lips.

In a bid to do something, anything, she raised her knee, pressing her thigh firmly up against Carla who let out a gasp at the unexpected sensation. The older brunette was hot against her even through the lace barrier and it spurred her to repeat the motion, hoping it would tempt Carla into finishing what she'd started sooner rather than later in order to get her turn. All that happened, however, was the appearance of a wicked grin that etched itself across Carla's lips and she straightened up, removing her hands from Michelle's body completely. The other woman let out another cry of frustration and tried to silently plead with her when she caught the lustrous green gaze Carla was aiming straight at her. Arching her spine, she began to rock against Michelle's thigh, her knees gripping either side of the taut muscle. Her mouth parted and she let out a sigh, head tipping so that her curls cascaded down her back.

"Carla." Her name scratched Michelle's throat as the younger woman choked it out, transfixed with the scene in front of her. The other brunette brought one hand up to tangle in her own hair, the other falling to her stomach. She watched her scratch lightly over her skin, her fingertips dancing across her abdomen, stroking up towards her chest, touching all the places Michelle usually touched, the places she was desperate to touch but was restrained from doing so. Not that it stopped her from pulling at them; her hands wouldn't do as they were told, desperate to break free and get to Carla. She knew exactly what she was doing and Michelle wasn't sure how much longer she could endure the agonising torment. It was quite easily the most erotic scene she'd ever witnessed and she was certain her insides were going to be incinerated.

"You're driving me insane. I'm sure this is grounds for divorce." Michelle managed to bite out, causing a deep, husky laugh to rumble in Carla's chest. It seemed to amplify the throb between her thighs and she wondered if she was going to let go purely from the sound of her.

"Through hard times, you promised." She winked, leaning down once more where she began to toy with the strap attaching the lace around her thigh. Carla made short work of unclipping them, but Michelle wasn't naive in thinking that she was going to get what she needed any time soon. Her fingertips danced dangerously high along her inner thigh and she felt the muscles tense.

"I need you, I really need you." Michelle tried, watching the way Carla pursed her lips, tilting her head as though contemplating the statement.

"How much?"

Resisting the urge to growl, the younger brunette pushed up her hips, trying to encourage Carla's hand to move just a little further.

"Can't you _see_ how much?"

One dipped glance caused a corrupt smirk to sweep over her lips. She _could_ see. That satin was ruined. Two fingertips stroked against the heated material caused Michelle's hips to jump, an abrupt murmur escaping from the confines of her throat.

A satisfied hum left Carla's lips and she suddenly pushed her hand past the silky barrier.

"I can _feel_ it too."

"You did that." It sounded like the words had been forced out through clenched teeth.

It caused Carla's skin to heat, goosebumps erupting across her arms, a pulse at her lower stomach. She'd be downright lying if she denied being in a similar state herself. After allowing a moment for her fingertips to glide against the heat, she suddenly pulled her hand away and there was a shot of outrage from the top of the bed.

"No! No you can't to that. Please, please I—" Michelle was silenced again at the soft flutter of Carla's lips against her inner thigh, the light nip of her teeth against her sensitive skin.

Michelle squirmed, her head spinning with the anticipation. It was without a doubt one of the most intense experiences she'd ever had and her body was reacting to it. The surface of her skin couldn't decide if it was hot or cold, she was covered in goosebumps but felt on fire. She wanted to take huge, slow lungfuls of air to calm her body but she was also breathless and panting, her heart thudding erratically against her ribs.

And when Carla's mouth finally descended in her it was still torture. She couldn't hold her, tangle her hands in her hair, Carla was still in full control of the speed, the pressure and she was doing everything in her power to keep Michelle teetering dangerously at the edge without allowing her to fall over it. The stroke of her tongue was far too light to relieve any of the desperate ache but despite this she could still feel the coil tighten in her stomach, the prolonged denial of what she needed only working to heightened her sensitivity. She felt, rather than heard, the other woman chuckle darkly, the vibration causing her back to arch as the pointed tip of her tongue winding in extremely light, slow circles against the area she urgently needed the most pressure.

"Carla I— Please I'm almost— _don't_ stop."

She had no intention this time, finally deciding Michelle had suffered enough. Using her arm to hold the younger woman's hips in place, she flattened her tongue against slickened skin and was rewarded instantly with the tensing of her body, followed by a loud cry of approval.

They didn't quieten, Michelle's hands were still fighting against the satin but her fingertips managed to find purchase within the intricate detailing on the headboard, where she gripped tightly as stars burst in front of her eyes. Her body seemed to overcompensate for the drawn out torment it had been out through, pleasure flaring in her veins which carried the onslaught of pleasure to every nerve ending, causing each muscle in her body to clench. It was so intense that it hadn't stopped when Carla had, her skin sparked even at the gentlest caress as the older brunette moved to lean over her, fingertips having trailed along her side on her way. She still hadn't recovered when she opened her eyes at the feel of Carla pushing stray curls away from her damp face, dark spots dancing in front of her vision that took several slow, purposeful blinks to clear.

"Carla, I want to—" she broke off, tugging her hands pointedly as she glanced upwards. "I need to hold you, let me." She was still struggling for breath. Carla nodded and moved to loosen the knot she'd tied, the silk snaking around her skin as it spiralled loose and she was finally released. In an instant the older brunette felt herself being pulled into a steadfast embrace, Michelle's palm gripping the back of her head, holding her desperately against her chest. She was still panting, her warm breath mingling with her own when they connected foreheads, nudged their noses together. As soon as Michelle had taken in enough oxygen to do so, she crushed her lips against Carla's. She missed her slowly, deeply, her tongue rolling against the other woman's in a way that caused her to hum out her approval. With one hand still placed against her hair, the other crept lower, her fingers wrapping themselves around a toned calf and pulling it up over her hip, allowing her better access. She was inching her way slowly across an embroidered waistband. When she dipped her hand into the material, she was met with instant evidence of exactly how much Carla had enjoyed everything that had just taken place.

She let out a gasp, which had caused her to pull away from the kiss, her eyes squeezing shut.

"'Chelle—"

"No, come here, come back," Michelle whispered, her other hand slipping from the back of her head and resting against her cheek, fingertips cupping around her jaw as she brought her into another kiss. She was slow and precise with her mouth, not giving away her intention, distracting her before curving her wrist with purpose and suddenly entering her deeply with one skilled, smooth stroke.

Carla cried out instantly, her eyes snapping shut, mouth tearing away from Michelle's as her hips surged into her hand.

"Don't hide your eyes from me, look at me." She could feel the warmth of Michelle breath against her face, her eyes fluttering open once more, slightly unfocused. "I love you like this, you're breathtaking."

Michelle began to move against her with slow strokes, allowing her body time to adjust after the abrupt intrusion, though she was able to rock against her with ease almost straight away, aided by her significant arousal.

"It's _so_ good. _You_ feel so good." Carla bit out, struggling hard to form the words in between her shuddering breath. "Oh God, "Chelle— I'm—"

"I know, I know you're close." Michelle husked, dipping her forehead to rest against Carla's. She was brushing her thumb lightly against her cheekbone, keeping her close. The older brunette shuddered again, muscles already starting to clench around her hand. "I can _feel_ it."

She kissed her again and Carla responded fiercely, impassioned in her worked up state, her heart thudding in her chest because Michelle's thumb was brushing by her temple now, nails lightly grazing her scalp and she wasn't just sleeping with her, she was _loving_ her and it had always been like that.

Her hips had started to rock more desperately now against the increased pace and she was already gasping into Michelle's mouth, teeth latching into her lower lip. In a fruitless bid to keep to Michelle's command, she met her eyes again and she couldn't even begin to list off every emotion that was relayed back to her, they were just intense, intense hazel against an equally heightened green. As much as she wanted to keep them there, they rolled closed of their own accord when Michelle's fingers curled inside her and another shout of satisfaction radiated around the room.

"Do it now. Let go, baby."

Carla was loud, vocal in her release. Her head tilted back, hands clawing at the younger woman's back as waves of ecstasy cascaded over her body. Michelle's lips were at her throat and she could feel the vibration of the cries that tore from her. Carla clutched her tighter, their heated frames melding together as bolts of pleasure continued to strike her nerves. Her head finally fell against Michelle's shoulder, heating her skin with heaving breaths, reduced to nothing more than a quivering, feverish wreck in her arms.

They didn't move, didn't even speak. They didn't need to yet. Carla stayed exactly as she was, allowing the emotion to pour over her, overcome her. She knew Michelle would be able to feel the tears against her shoulder, but it was okay. It was safe to let it out. The younger woman was stroking her hand soothingly down her back, fingertips lightly bumping over the ridges of her spine, her skin still slick with perspiration.

The tears didn't alarm Michelle as they had on their first ever appearance. It happened from time to time, usually when Carla was struggling to contemplate the overwhelming amount of love between them, the infinite amount of happiness she had. It wasn't something she'd always been used to, she hadn't had anywhere close to the years of it she deserved, the years Michelle had vowed to give her.

"You're so loved, Carla," she whispered gently, feeling the other woman's rigid frame loosen slightly. "So worthy of it."

Carla moved back slightly and as soon as her face was in view Michelle's fingertips were swiping across her cheeks, before her arms settled back around her. The older brunette was more than content to continue laying against her chest, humming quietly when Michelle's lips drifted against her forehead.

"There's really no one like you, 'Chelle." Carla's voice was soft and she knew how much that statement meant to the other woman, who'd directed the same words at her so many times before, before they'd even considered their deeper feelings for one another.

"And no one gets me, but you."

It was quiet again and relished in these moments when they didn't need to speak, they could just be. Carla brushed her calf lightly against Michelle's, her breathing slow and content. It wasn't until a heavier exhale left her lips that the younger woman spoke.

"What's wrong?"

"I just can't believe it's all over," Carla sigh, not disappointed, more confused at how quickly the day seemed to have slipped by, despite it being so full on it had, at the same time, been never ending. Never ending and perfect.

"Who said anything about it being over?" Michelle murmured, rubbing a fingertip down the basque that neither of them had exercised enough patience to remove. Carla bit her lip, her eyes suddenly clouding over with lust, darkening them to a deep moss green that appeared black in the dim lighting. "I'm taking all of this off you properly."

 **IXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXI**

Carla was the first to stir, the gentle flapping of the curtains and the icy breeze irritating her skin, causing goosebumps to form over her shoulder and the part of her calf that was exposed from the duvet. They hadn't stopped to close the window, had barely remembered to shut the balcony door on their way in. The cold air had been welcomed after the heat of the passionate exchanges they'd shared well into the night, but now it was causing her to shiver. She gripped hold of the duvet and rolled over, a slow smile spreading across her features as she nuzzled into Michelle's hair, breathing in the comforting scent of her. The younger woman's skin was warm and when the coolness of Carla's leg pressed against the back of her thigh, she let out a low mumble.

"Good morning, _Mrs_ Connor." Carla grinned, her lips pecking the spot just below her ear. At the sound of her almost-new title, Michelle's eyes fluttered open and her face split into a wide grin.

"Good morning, M—oh, hang on. Well your name hasn't changed." She pouted, rolling around to face her properly .

"Maybe not," Carla shrugged, gently brushing the stray hairs away from Michelle's face. "But what I am to you has changed."

The younger woman's expression softened, her eyes creasing around the edges, brow furrowing. "Carla, everything's so perfect." She brought her hand up, about to cup the other brunette's cheek before she felt the very slight twinge of discomfort, faint pink lines across her wrists which looked a lot like they'd been caused by friction. It was barely painful, not half as much as the ache in her lower limbs but concern flashed across Carla's features and she took both of Michelle's hands in her own, dotting her lips tenderly against the angry marks. She felt her heart swell, wondering if she might quite possibly melt at her loving actions.

"'Chelle, last night—"

"It was something," Michelle whispered, her eyes bright with the memory.

"Was that alright? I mean you did feel okay about it? Carla suddenly stressed, the jewelled green tones in her eyes glittering with concern.

"It was absolutely alright," Michelle reassured her automatically, twisting her hands around so they were now holding Carla's. "I'd have said, if not."

"And you did know you could have said at any point, didn't you? If you'd changed your mind, if you'd wanted to stop—"

"Hey, hey," Michelle let go of her hands and instead cupped her cheeks, tipping her face so she could make sure the other woman was looking directly at her. "Carla. Last night was beyond intense. I loved every second of it." She nudged their noses together and pressed a soft kiss against her lips. Carla responded just a gently, her movements slow, the flare of panic she'd felt quickly doused by the other woman's reassurances.

"I love you and I love how much you care." Michelle whispered, drawing back to gaze down at her once more, chest fluttering at the sight of her still-sleep addled Make-up free face, framed with messy, wild curls. "My beautiful, adoring, amazing _wife."_

Carla's eyes were alight again, this time with complete admiration for the woman in front of her, who suddenly flopped back against the pillow and let out a giggle.

"This is crazy. I have a wife." More laughter followed and Carla shot her a bemused frown.

"Uh, baby, are you alright?"

Michelle's head swivelled to face her and she seemed to be fighting off another fit of giggles. "We got married. How ridiculous is that?"

"I think all that sex has addled your brain." Carla nodded in mock seriousness, though she was biting her lip, struggling to hold back her own chuckle.

"I know but it's crazy. You get what I mean, don't you? Like, you're my best friend. I've known you forever. We are _wives,_ Carla."

"'Chelle!" The other brunette spluttered, bringing her into a firm hold as she succumbed to her own laughing fit, nose to nose with her once more.

It took a moment for them both to calm down, every time one went quiet the other would let out a tiny snort and they'd be off again. Carla couldn't remember the last time her heart had felt so full, yet chest so light, nothing foreboding ready to creep up on her and cloud her happiness. She moved in again and met Michelle's mouth, kissing her firmly, eliciting a gentle hum from the younger woman.

"Mm, so." Michelle's words were muffled, her fingertips stroking along Carla's arm. "In light of last night, how many other secret fantasies have you got locked away up there?" She whispered huskily, looking up at with sultry, narrowed eyes.

Carla chuckled again, this time a lot lower, the tip of her tongue peeking out to run over the edge of her front teeth. She'd just opened her mouth to answer when she was distracted by what she thought was a knock on the door.

"Carla?" Michelle frowned beneath her, giving her a gentle prod but she had her head tilted, listening intently.

She hadn't imagined it, the tapping was suddenly louder, a high pitched cry of 'Room service' in an accent she wasn't sure she recognised.

"We didn't order room service?" Carla frowned, wondering if it had been sent to the wrong room. She was half tempted to ignore it but the knock came again, sharper still. Reluctantly Carla dragged the sheet they were wrapped up in around her body, sluggishly dragging herself to the door. The muscles in her thighs protested slightly as she trudged along the soft carpet and rolled her shoulders, wincing as one of them cracked. She'd been put through her paces the previous night, that's for sure. She was barely able to clasp the sheet against her frame, wild curls falling into her face when she leant forward to pull open the door, ready to give someone hell for the disturbance.

"Room ser—" It was Kate's voice she'd heard, a wide grin across her face as she called out mockingly in the same shrill accent she'd used previous. However a second, deeper shout had cut across her.

"Whoa!" Ryan's hand instantly flew up to cover his eyes and Carla squeaked in horror, wrapping the sheet more firmly around her body. "Really, Aunty Carla?" He groaned, grimacing as he slowly lowered his hand, squinting before fully opening his eyes. Beside him Kate was trying not to splutter with laughter, she was holding a breakfast tray and it was wobbling dangerously.

"Well you decided to disturb the honeymoon suite, brains of Britain!" She grumbled. "You lot never heard of a lie in?"

"Really, that's how you were choosing to spend your morning? Sleeping?" Kate scoffed in disbelief, shooting Carla a knowing wink while Ryan groaned, refraining from nudging her due to the coffee pot that was balanced on the tray, along with a selection of other breakfast items.

"Morning? Have you seen the time? You never met us for breakfast!" Ryan frowned in an accusatory tone, though hastened to add. "But that's fine I really don't want to know why."

"Yeah, Helen was all for coming to get you." Kate nodded, unable to keep the mischief from her tone. "But luckily I managed to talk her out of it."

Carla sighed gratefully, not wanting to contemplate the look on her mother-in-laws face if she'd opened the door in this state, looking like she'd been blown across the hotel carpark. It was painful enough with Ryan there and she was trying like hell to avoid his gaze. Ever the irritating younger sibling that Carla thought she'd never have again, Kate decided to add. "We didn't know whether you'd be, y'know, absolutely parched but too exhausted to hobble up of bed after a steamy night of—"

"Kate! No." Ryan cut across her, snatching the tray from her hands and offering it to Carla. The older brunette gestured obviously to where both of her hands were very tightly clutching the sheet to her body and stepped aside to allow him to enter.

"Uh, no. I'm not stepping foot in there." He blanched, pushing the tray back into Kate's hands and stepping away in horror. Rolling her eyes, Kate happily breezed by Carla and set the tray down on the dressing table, throwing a cocky smirk over to where her cousin was sat; completely covered but amongst the catastrophic layers of ravaged bed sheets.

"Morning, Michelle." She drawled, slyly, offering her an exaggerated wink. The other woman raised her eyebrows, her arms folding across her chest in a highly unamused manner.

"So have you told her yet?" Kate dropped her smug attitude at once in replace of excitement, the words spilling from her mouth before Carla could stop her.

"Tell me what?" Michelle frowned, looking up at her wife, confused.

"You've got a surprise!" Ryan's voice sounded from the doorway, clearly he still deemed the room too unholy to enter.

"No, I haven't got around to it yet." Carla huffed, glaring at the two younger Connors who suddenly looked sheepish.

"Cheers, you set of gobs on legs. Go on, scarper before I throttle the pair of you." She ushered Kate out of the room and closed the door, turning to Michelle.

"Well the cat is out of the bag now." The older brunette grumbled, grabbing the silky night dress that she hadn't even realised was hanging haphazardly from the headboard and quickly tugging it over her head. They had, at one point, attempted to put on nightclothes and kid themselves they were going to sleep. But Michelle's hands had wandered once more and she'd not given a seconds thought to where her nightie had ended up.

She was rummaging about by the bed now, the sound of her handbag being unzipped rattled around in until she produced an envelop, handing it to Michelle.

"What's this?"

"Encyclopedia Britannica." Carla shot back sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Open it and see, you daft mare."

Michelle gave her a gentle prod, before sliding her fingertips under the flap of the envelope and unfolding the contents. Her eyes widened, her brain picking out the words _...honeymoon...Cancun... Five star._

"What—"

"I'm taking you away." Carla teased, seating herself beside her shocked wife and snaking an around her waist, moving her lips to her ear. "For two whole weeks. Just me and you." She whispered, giving Michelle a moment to allow it to sink in, her eyes still fixated on the confirmation letter. First class flights and a pretty damn luxurious looking hotel booked for two people.

"Are you serious?"

"Absolutely." She tapped the letter, fingertip pointing out the date which was a mere seven days away. "Thought I'd give you time to do your holiday shop—"

Carla didn't get to finish the sentence, Michelle had let out a cry of excitement and thrown her arms around her, almost knocking her back into the pillows with the sheer force of the embrace, beginning to scatter kisses all over her face.

"Oh my God. Oh my God, thank you." She gushed, pecking at her lips affectionately between each sentence. "Thank you, so much. I love you. I love you more than anything."

The older brunette was chuckling, trying to keep up with the onslaught of kisses Michelle had decided to shower her with, moving her hands into her hair in an attempt to steady her so she could respond properly. "I love you, too."

 **Thank you so much for reading! (Aside from the Corrie spy because I swear if one more thing from my story ends up on the show —Robert threatening Carla, ahem— a girl will sue! (; (Don't worry I have firm plans to incorporate Robert's clear jealousy (and what's happening in the show as of now) into my other fic "involved" and it's going to be a real angsty one! Gonna rewrite the storyline the way it should have gone if the Corrie writers weren't pure cowards *eyeroll***

 **Anyway, I hope this was okay! I've never written a wedding before and it was daunting, this whole chapter has been a challenge but I'm glad I wrote it because I have enjoyed it immensely and I got caught up in all the emotion. It was a really happy thing to be able to portray, I honestly put my whole heart and soul into this and I hope I did it justice. The songs I referenced were** _ **Over and Over again**_ **by Nathan Sykes and** _ **Turning Page**_ **by Sleeping at last. If you play them while reading the right scenes it causes your eyes to sweat a bit.**

 **Thank you again so much for everyone's continued support and lovely reviews!**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Hello, sorry I've been gone for so long. Ive been really busy but wanted to get a quick update in. This is nothing but intense cheese, an abundance of fluff and cute honeymoon vibes!**

 **I thought it was fitting to update this today; exactly a year ago (well, it was late 24th I think so I class it as 25th... or thats the excuse i'm using because i needed more time (;) I posted the first chapter, not knowing at all that it was the start of something that was going to give me the confidence to shape my life for the better. Hashtag blessed. Thank you for all the love and support for this story, you've helped me find my way! I've been accepted to study for a degree in creative writing, which I'll begin in September. I'm over the moon and I think writing this story was the thing that gave me that final push to go for it! So thank you so much for everyone's amazing comments.**

 **Tw: mature scenes of gals being pals. Thought I'd continue to warn you even though I know all love it, really. *wink***

"I can't believe we go away practically this evening and you're going into work." Michelle sulked, huffily pressing the lid on top of the food container she'd just finished putting sandwiches into and clipping it into place. She slid it over to join the other two and folded her arms across her chest, raising her eyebrow at Carla who didn't look the slightest bit guilty as she pulled her jacket around her shoulders. In fact, at the irritated scowl across the younger woman's face, her lips twisted into a smirk and she leaned against the kitchen counter, letting out a short laugh.

"Well I've packed my case, so what does it matter? I'm only going in just to make sure they're fully prepared for the next fortnight and then I'll be home."

Michelle opened her mouth to reply but their impending dispute was disrupted by the appearance of both Ryan and Ali, who shuffled through into the living area whilst jostling with one another.

"Tell me who it is, tell me, tell me," Ali tormented, nudging the shorter man with his elbow and trying to pluck his mobile from out of his hands.

"Get off, you pleb!" Ryan groaned, holding his phone out of the Doctor's reach. "You're supposed to be the mature one."

"So you're admitting you're immature?" He smirked triumphantly, stumbling into the sofa when Ryan used his shoulder to barrel him against it.

"What's going on?" Michelle's eyes had been following the exchange, switching from one son to another as they'd bickered together.

Rubbing the side of his arm, which had taken the force of his fall, Ali opened his mouth to answer before Ryan could.

"He's been texting a girl, that's all." He grinned, reaching out to patronisingly ruffle his hair. "He's gone all shy about it, bless him."

"Oh, pack it in." Ryan grumbled, ducking out of his way. "You're just jealous."

"I pull all the time, I'm a Doctor."

"The only thing you've ever pulled is a muscle, mate!" He spluttered at his own joke, though his face was suddenly serious. "Ah, actually, there was that one at the bus stop, Gladys, wasn't it?" Ryan goaded, crossing his arms cockily. "All over you after you treat her arthritis, she thought you were a 'charming young man'. It's more your type isn't it, you like them a bit older—" Suddenly realising what he'd said, he paused abruptly and turned to the two brunette women hovering by the kitchen counter, looking extremely sheepish but still unable to diminish the mischievous glint in his eye. "Sorry, no offence Aunty Carla."

The older brunette let out a scoff of disbelief, raising her hand in warning. "You cheeky little—"

"You're all going to be late." Michelle intervened, pointing at the clock in an attempt to distract them all.

"Mate, do you not find it weird still calling her _Aunty_ when she's married to our mum?"

"Ali!" Michelle reprimanded, though he was smirking, clearly still trying to wind them all up. She couldn't help the corners off her mouth twitching, but quickly cleared her throat and picked up the three lunches she'd spent the morning preparing. "Right, you can all get lost because I want to give this flat a going over before I leave."

"You're going into work?" Ali asked Carla, his brow knitting together in confusion.

"Just for a few hours, make sure things keep ticking over." She nodded, rummaging within her bag to make sure she'd stored her mobile in there.

"Might as well all walk down together then."

Michelle handed the first container to Ali, trying to hide the swell of pride at the sight of him in his smart coat, his other hand clutching the glossy briefcase he'd received at Christmas. "Right, I love you," she smiled, stretching into her toes to press a swift kiss against his cheek, before turning to Ryan and handing him the second one. "I love you," she continued, ignoring the overly exaggerated way he scrunched up his face in anticipation of the kiss she pressed to his cheek. She swivelled around to Carla, who was watching her in bemusement, trying to work out if they'd really been arguing or not. They hadn't, she decided, at the beginnings of a smirk that were starting to pull at the younger woman's mouth. She was holding out and the final container and when Carla reached out for it, Michelle instead grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. "And I love you." Her voice had dropped a decibel, her tone gravelly as she dipped her head and caught her lips in a kiss that elicited groans of disgust from the two men waiting by the door. Carla's hands automatically weaved around the other woman's waist to pull their bodies flush together as she responded with enthusiasm.

"We could move out," Ryan suddenly suggested to Ali, the pair of them had turned away with a wince. He looked semi-serious. "Go halves on a flat or something, turn it into a proper bachelor pad." The Doctor looked like he was actually considering the idea, about to respond when the sound of Michelle tearing herself away from Carla's mouth assaulted the two men's ears.

"Er, moving out? Why?" Their mother's offended tone demanded, her face dropping slightly.

" _Why_?" Ryan scoffed in disbelief, gesturing obviously to the two women in front of him. "Because we're twenty-seven years old, living with our mother and her spouse who are not only the most insufferable newlyweds but are constantly at it like—"

"Alright, let's wait outside!" Ali grimaced, looking disturbed at the prospect of hearing the rest of the sentence. "Thanks for these," He nodded to Michelle, holding up his lunch before ushering Ryan hurriedly out of the door.

"We're not that bad." Michelle tried to defend, though when Carla shot her a look she relented. "Okay, but I feel like I've only just got them back. I know that's stupid—"

"No, it's not." Carla reassured her, pressing a lighter, more comforting kiss against her lips. "They're just teasing and even if they're not, they're hardly going to be going far, or right away." Her fingertip slipped beneath Michelle's chin and she offered her wife an encouraging smile. "I won't be late, okay?"

"Alright," Michelle nodded, leaning in towards her for a final time. "Make sure you eat your lunch."

 **IXIXIXI**

"Thank God for priority boarding, it was freezing stood in the queue!" Michelle complained, tugging the light, floral blazer around her body and shivering as she made her way down the plane.

"I did warn you you'd be cold, it's still winter here, you know?" Carla laughed. Michelle was wearing a thin, cream lace vest beneath her blazer and her legs were less than half covered in blue denim shorts.

"I can feel you ogling me." The younger woman fired back, unwilling to admit that perhaps she should have listened to Carla and dressed more sensibly. She paused on the stairs and turned to face her, the other brunette was one below her and she had to quickly avert her eyes because, despite having seen her in less countless times over, the denim outlining her shape had become a noticeable distraction. Carla herself had dressed slightly better to brace the wintery weather in the U.K., clad in leggings and an oversized white top, which would have been revealed to be off the shoulder it she wasn't covered by the fitted denim jacket. With her hair in loose waves around her shoulders, she looked comfortable, right down the the black converse on her feet, oddly causal but still effortlessly stunning. Michelle wasn't sure anything would look bad on her, but this look was a favourite; Carla was exposed but relaxed, the absence of fitted business wear and her professional mask made her softer, her eyes creased with genuine happiness and it was only then Michelle realised that she'd been staring dumbfounded and the other brunette looked on the verge of laughter.

"Quite the ego, haven't you?" Carla taunted, tapping her hand against a denim back pocket to urge her further up the steps.

"Are you denying you were— oh, wow." Michelle stopped short as they reached the top, glancing around the spacious cabin in front of them. There could have only been around twelve seats in total, each of them luxurious, stone coloured leather recliner, built in cup holders between each pair and large screens embedded into the backs of them. Carla held out their boarding passes once more to the flight attendant who had introduced herself and offered to show the two women to their seats, completely unnoticed by Michelle who was too awed, still taking in the vast aircraft. Chuckling slightly at the look on her face, Carla linked her fingers as she passed and gently tugged Michelle along with her, gesturing for her to sit near the window. After informing them that complimentary champagne would be served once safely in the air, they were left to their own devices, gazing disinterestedly at safety leaflets; both women had flown countless times, although Michelle hadn't experienced it like this before. She'd soon given up with in-flight magazines and was busy fiddling with the buttons on her seat, reclining her chair and back, before leaning forward to prod at the screen in front of her.

"A toddler would fidget less." Carla tormented, though she what been watching her with an endearing smile, the clear excitement across Michelle's features causing a warmth to spread through her. It was the least they deserved, after everything the year had thrown at them.

"I couldn't sleep last night." The younger woman suddenly admitted, her face coy as she bit down on her lower lip.

"I know, I heard you tossing and turning and getting up to check our passports." She laughed, seizing Michelle's hand which had began to trace the edge of the indent that gave way to the cup holders and lacing their fingers together. "I'm looking forward to this, too, having you to myself for two weeks."

"You won't get bored of me?"

Carla raised her eyebrow, the tip of her tongue peeking out the briefly wet her lower lip. She leaned in closer, lowering her voice as more first class passengers began to make an appearance, though her words were lost in the clatter of overhead luggage holders being opened. "I'm sure you'll find ways to keep me entertained."

 **IXIXIXI**

It was around the second hour of the eleven that they were on board for and soon after the draining of their fourth glass of complimentary champagne that Carla excused herself to the bathroom. Michelle was feeling giddy and lightheaded, she wasn't sure if that was a result of champagne on an empty stomach or the anticipation of their impending holiday, but felt like stretching her legs might be beneficial. She found herself wandering to the top of the cabin where the toilets were situated. She'd used the bathroom on aeroplanes before; they were tiny, claustrophobic things that never made her feel entirely comfortable. Tilting her head to the side, she wondered if these would be any different. Large enough to allow the space for two people to converse away from prying eyes.

Michelle glanced inconspicuously down the rest of the small cabin. It had only filled up with six other passengers and they weren't taking any notice of her; two of them invested in their screens with headphones attached to their skulls and the two sets of other couples seated further behind them were deep in conversation with one another, taking full advantage of the free champagne they had received. She bit her lip, excitement bubbling in her stomach when she heard the first click of the bathroom door opening. This was definitely the effect of champagne, she decided. Carla's face was revealed for less than a nano-second before Michelle curled her fingertips around the older brunette's shoulders and urgently ushered her back inside.

"'Chelle, what—?"

The other woman shook her head, reaching behind her to slide the lock back into place, her lips already pursed and about to latch onto Carla's. Upon realising the younger woman's motive, her eyes widened and she shook her head, leaning away and breaking their kiss just as they'd touched.

"What are you doing? We can't!" She protested, her heart rate increasing by the second. "If we get caught—"

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Michelle smirked, taking a step forward and effectively hemming her in against the skin. She could smell the perfume emanating from her skin, the glint in her darkened eyes where they reflected the overhead lighting. Michelle didn't try to kiss her again, just reached up and stroked a fingertip down the delicate cord of her neck that had been exposed as she'd tried to lean away. The action sent a ripple of goosebumps over Carla's shoulders, prickling the tops of her arms.

"We'll get into trouble." Carla breathed, closing her eyes when Michelle's other hand toyed with the waistband of her leggings, stroking along the elastic before slipping her fingertips just beneath it. Her muscles tensed, a coiling pressure already starting to squeeze below her stomach.

"Why break the habit of a lifetime?"

The hesitation that had been lingering in her eyes dissipated and her pupils grew larger, leaving them ringed by only a slim band of green. She felt the thrill of anticipation shoot down her spine, the squeezing excitement of doing something that seemed forbidden, something that she wasn't a hundred percent sure was strictly legal. They were only a knock away from being discovered and the urgency caused her to reached out, tangle her hand in the back of Michelle's hair and pull her in for a bruising kiss.

Michelle responded with fire, Carla could feel her smirking against her mouth, but then she descended further and nipped along her jawline, pausing by her ear where she took the lobe between her teeth. Her breath was warm and heavy when she spoke.

"You know, we're currently flying at thirty-seven thousand feet," the younger woman husked, pressing her body further into Carla's. The other brunette let out a low him in response, her head falling back slightly; Michelle's fingertips were teasing heated lace and doing nothing to alleviate any of the pressure building. "But I'm about to take you even higher."

Carla felt a wide grin split across her face, nose wrinkling as a breathy laugh escaped her lips. "Michelle, that was so chees—" the rest of her sentence was cut off by a surprised cry when the younger woman's hand very swiftly dipped beneath the lace and found purchase exactly where Carla needed her to be. The approving shout had been dragged from her lungs completely without her permission and Michelle's other hand slammed over her mouth, just about managing to muffle the rest of it.

"What are you doing?" Michelle hissed frantically, her own eyes now wide with the same uncertainty Carla had first shown. "Do you want to just step out and announce over the tannoy what we're up to in here?"

The older brunette met her worried gaze, looking sheepish for a moment, but then her eyes creased at the edges, her lips twitched against Michelle's palm and at the impending laughter that was trying to escape, the younger woman dissolved into a fit of giggles herself. They muffled the noise by sealing their lips together once more and Carla let out a heavy sigh when the other woman's hand began to move in very deliberate strokes.

"Mm, 'Chelle," She whispered, trying and failing to slow her breath, which had already started to leave her in short bursts. "I reckon we have about three minutes before people start to become suspicious, you're going to have to make this the performance of a lifetime."

Michelle reached up to lightly grip the back of her neck, keeping their faces close together as she spoke against her mouth. "If you even last the next thirty seconds, the first three rounds are on me."

 **IXIXIXI**

They'd slept for a while on the plane, after emerging from their short endeavour to the bathroom, flushed and breathless, avoiding eye contact with anyone who might have glanced in their direction. The taxi that had been booked to take them to their final destination had pulled up directly outside of a magnificent beach resort, with rows of pristine white balconies that looked as though carved out of marble. There weren't many floors, but it was an exclusive hotel and the entire upper floor consisted of the honeymoon suite which they were now in ascending in the elevator to get to, key cards clutched in their hands.

"After you," Carla grinned, once she'd slotted her card into the sensor and the indicating light had turned green, signalling the door was now open.

Michelle slipped her own keycard into her pocket, adjusted her shoulder on her bag and twisted the handle. She didn't open it fully, securing it with the edge of her foot before turning back to Carla, who looked confused.

"'Chelle, what're you— Michelle!" The younger woman had lunged forward, wrapping one arm around her waist and the other hooking around the backs of her knees, catching her when she collapsed inwards as she'd scooped her up. "Oh my God, put me down you flamin' idiot!" Carla's protests mixed in with the stream of giggles coming from the other brunette, who wobbled precociously when she pushed her way fully into the room, causing Carla to clutch tighter onto her. "You'll drop me!"

At this, Michelle smirked and loosened her arms dramatically, allowing her to drop suddenly for a split second before she caught her again.

" _Michelle_! Is that how we're going to start the holiday? Sat in a Mexican hospital in full body casts?"

"You're such a drama queen!" The younger woman laughed, tightening her hold and dipping down to kiss her forehead. "I've got you, trust me."

Although when Michelle began to finally take in the room properly, she did carefully lower Carla to the floor for fear she would actually drop her in shock. It was beautiful. The room boasted quite possibly the biggest bed she'd ever seen, it had crisp white sheets and quilted golden throw, matching decorate cushions precisely placed atop of the fluffy pillows. Deep red rose petals contrasted against them, they'd been precisely scattered over the bed, edged carefully around two white towels which had been expertly folded to depict a pair of kissing swans. Overhead lights had been switched on, giving the room an airy, golden glow. The room gave way to a stone alcove with flickering lanterns and candles embedded into the skilled brickwork which half framed a large, marble corner tub that jutted smoothly out from it. Michelle could see the tiny silver jets clearly beneath the now-still water. A bucket had already been placed on the edge, the golden top of a champagne bottle peeking up from the ice and two gleaming crystal glasses set beside it.

"Are you serious? This is ours for two weeks?" Michelle whispered, shaking her head incredulously.

"And you haven't even seen the actual bathroom yet!" Carla grinned teasingly, sliding her arms around Michelle's rigid frame, resting her chin on her shoulder.

"Carla, this is amazing. You really— you didn't have to—"

"Yes, I did." The older brunette affirmed, slipping around to face Michelle and gently taking her face between her hands. "This is our honeymoon and I love you." Carla locked her gaze and moved in, brushing her lips against Michelle's in a delicate kiss, smoothing her hair down behind her ears.

"Thank you," Michelle's sincere whisper warmed her face where they lingered together for a moment afterwards. Carla stroked a steady fingertip down her cheek and then let her go, both of them still wanting to explore their surroundings.

Of course Carla had seen the pictures, researched it extensively online with the help of Kate, but she hadn't yet seen their balcony. One half of the entire room was encased in glass, long golden curtains with shimmering flecks in the material swooping from ceiling to floor, only partly opened so as to give the room the rich glow it was currently exhibiting. Carla wandered over and pulled them apart, a splitting grin forming across her face. The balmy air hit her face as soon as she slid the doors open. A twirling, ornate railing situated on top of a low rise marble wall acted as their safety guard and she was looking straight out onto the beach. She sidled past the dark, sleek wicker chairs that were copiously padded with soft beige cushions and headed towards the start of a sloping grey stairwell which twirled up to the roof. Part of the appeal of the hotel had been the offer of their own private pool, as well as access to the two residential ones. All the privacy of a villa, should they choose it, but full time staff available to wait on them. With a satisfied smirk, Carla looked back out over the beach. There were palm trees sprouting from the ground, their leaves rustling slightly in a breeze that felt non existent. She could practically feel the tension leave her body, the stresses of everyday life melting away under the sun's heated rays.

"I reckon I can cope with this for two weeks. It's gorgeous." Carla finally voiced her approval, turning away from the view, her eyes slightly dazzled from staring at the sea a moment too long; it had reflected the sun's rays brightly and shimmered with light. She could feel the heat from outside permeating through the fabric of her leggings and warming her skin just a little too much for it to be comfortable. Deciding that her holiday shorts were now warranted, she slipped her fingers beneath the waistband of the stretchy cotton and moved them down her legs, the cooler air already refreshing her skin. It was then she was aware that the room had been cast into silence, Michelle hadn't even answered her. She glanced up, expecting to find that the other woman had moved through to the bathroom but she was stood by the foot of the bed watching her. She'd followed Carla's movements around the room, watched as she'd turned away from their balcony. Backlit, the coppery chestnut tones in her hair had given her a bronzed halo around her head and when she'd moved further into the room, the halo had vanished but Michelle's focused gaze remained. Now, her eyes were taking in the way the loose, white material that flowed over her frame exposed one of her shoulders, the wide neckline revealing the contour of her collarbone. They dipped, to where the hem of the shirt skimmed the very tops of her thighs, barely covering the triangle of black lace and she found herself striding towards the other woman with purpose. The smirk that had formed across the older woman's mouth was covered completely with Michelle's, who pressed her back until they both sank into a luxurious mattress and Carla let out a menacing laugh, tilting her head back to allow the younger woman's lips to descend down her neck.

"I want you, Carla, now." Michelle was breathless, scattering kisses against her skin, her teeth grazing over the pulse point she found as her hands slipped beneath her top, trying to touch every inch of heated skin beneath her palms.

"You just had me," Carla attempted to tease, but she'd laid back willingly and goosebumps had already erupted down her arms, the fire that she thought they'd doused at thirty-seven thousand feet high suddenly roaring back to life. Michelle climbed over her, trapping her body between her knees. She rolled up the hem of Carla's top and lightly grazed her nails back down her stomach, smirking when she felt the muscles beneath them tense.

"And I want you again." The younger brunette spoke firmly, her hands continuing to journey down the length of her until her fingertips hooked beneath the waistband of her underwear. She paused, looking back up towards Carla, who was struggling to uphold the smirk on her face, desire already burning in her eyes. Reaching out, she took Michelle's chin between her thumb and forefinger and purposefully held her gaze.

"Stop talking about it and do it."

Michelle dipped down and kissed her again, parting her mouth to deepen it. She didn't indulge her for long however, before they'd began to wander once more. Carla sank back, arching upward when the younger woman nipped her way down her stomach, her hands continuing their mission of removing the rest of her clothing. Slow, precise kisses were being pressed against the delicate skin of her inner thigh and Carla could feel herself trembling in anticipation. The warm, slick pressure of Michelle's tongue finally traced over even slicker skin between them and the older brunette let out an audible gasp at the instant bolt of pleasure it caused.

Michelle really _did_ want her. Carla wondered if this would be an even shorter encounter than the one in the air. Her head dropped back into the pillows, one of her hands moving to rest against the back of her head, tangling in her hair because she had to know how much she needed her to keep doing _that_. It was driving her mad and she knew it, the gentle suction Michelle created with her lips combined with the rapid strokes brought a string of incoherent mumbles from her mouth, barely muffled by the cotton Carla had tried to press her face into.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Michelle stopped to speak, a disgustingly wicked grin on her face as the other woman let out a groan of frustration.

"God _don't_ stop." Carla bit out, tightening her grip slightly around the fistful of glossy hair that spilled from between her knuckles. With what dwindling strength she had, she propped herself up slightly onto one elbow, trying to push her closer to where she'd been before, where she needed to be right now she'd been so close to the edge. Michelle quirked her brow and moved lower, but this time her eyes remained locked on Carla's. She started over, infuriatingly slow, throwing one arm over the other brunette to keep her still. Carla wanted to drop her head back but she couldn't look away; Michelle's eyes were almost black with desire and so much longing. It was that look which caused the fire to intensify within her, knowing that Michelle's sudden restriction wasn't just torture for her, the other woman wanted more too, wanted more of her than she was currently allowing herself. For a second, Carla's fingers unclenched from the dark locks she'd twisted into her grip and she grazed her nails more gently against Michelle's scalp.

"'Chelle, I love you."

Michelle gave up denying the both of them. She saw the change in the hazel tones, the way they softened with love as she'd spoke but then sparked once more with lust and Carla felt herself completely _devoured_.

She could feel her everywhere, her muscles were now beginning to tense, her upper body trembling with effort to hold herself up, but then the younger woman's hand joined the exquisite torture and suddenly she found that her squeezing muscles had something to hold onto and she was finished before Michelle could even start to move. Collapsing down against the sheets, she was sent over the edge with a sharp cry, her hand clasping the back of the other woman's head to keep her there even when her hips were trying to jump away, it was too much and not enough all at once.

It took a moment for her vision to clear, there were colourful spots fizzing in front of her, blurring the scene and she had to blink several times to bring everything back into focus. Carla was still trembling, her skin glittering with perspiration, chest heaving because she hadn't had nearly enough time for her breathing to have returned to anything that could be considered a normal rate.

"'Chelle," Carla murmured, still half blind as she reached out for her. Michelle was already over her, pushing her hair back and leaning in close enough so that their breath mingled. One of her hands had found Carla's, their fingers knotted together and the other was pressed against her cheek, holding her steady as she dipped down to kiss her. She was smiling against it.

"You enjoyed that even more than me." Carla accused breathlessly, to which Michelle responded with a gentle laugh.

"Almost," she admitted, carefully peeling away the stray hairs that had become plastered to the older brunette's forehead, letting her lips rest there once she had. "I love you, too."

"Give me a minute and you'll love me even more."

 **IXIXIXI**

"You know since we've been married, you've not stopped." Carla teased, lazily winding her finger around tendrils of silky hair. She'd let Michelle curl up against her chest, tuck her head beneath her chin. Their limbs were tangled together atop of messily bunched up sheets that had earlier been crisp and neat, stretched taut across the plush mattress. The balcony doors were still open, they were looking straight out at a vast aqua sea and a sky which didn't host a single wisp of cloud. Although there was no breeze and the sun was still high and blazing, the curtains adorning the balcony doors wafted slightly in the artificial draught created by the air conditioning. It was welcomingly received by their heated bodies, the cool air fanning their skin. Carla thought Michelle was dozing off; she felt like she could herself despite the fact that here, it wasn't much past lunch time. But then the younger woman shifted and looked up at her, a tired grin across her lips.

"Give over, I've always been mad about you. Ever since the first time we... in fact, no, it was before even that." She frowned, trying to think back to exactly when even just being close to Carla had caused her body to pulse with desire. "It was definitely there after that second kiss. You know, when I was sober. We were in bed and you were over me, you started to touch me and... God I could have had you right then. I was shaking I wanted you so badly." Michelle's eyes had closed as she reminisced, biting her lower lip at the memory.

Carla was struggling to keep the grin from her face. She reached down and cupped Michelle's cheek; her skin was still pink and warmed. "I don't know how I managed to stop us. Can you imagine trying to do that now?" She chuckled. Denying one another, unless part of the seduction, was something that she deemed both extremely difficult and entirely unnecessary.

"I'm glad you did though," Michelle admitted, her fingertips creating circles over the older woman's forearm. "I mean I don't doubt it would have been intense and amazing but our first time was..." she trailed off incoherent murmur, attempting to nuzzle into the crook of her neck once but but Carla pulled back, fixing Michelle with a curious stare.

"Go on," She probed, giving the top of her arm a gentle prod.

"No, you'll say it's cheesy." She frowned, reluctant to give the information away.

"I won't, I promise. Come on, I want to know what you were going to say." Carla continued to pester, pressing the tip of her finger against her skin once more.

"I just meant that, well, it was _special_ wasn't it?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth she scrunched up her nose, covering her face with her arm and letting out a regretful groan. "Ugh, see even just saying it out loud, it's so cliche and—"

Carla stopped her rambling by pressing her lips lightly against Michelle's slightly parted ones, who instantly shut up and responded, her fingertips curling lightly around the older woman's jaw.

"It was," she nodded in agreement, after pulling away, only moving back a fraction to instead rest her head against Michelle's. "I remember thinking, when you were holding me afterwards, how everything seemed to have just clicked into place. It felt like the world finally made sense."

Michelle laughed gently, not at her, but at how accurately she'd captured that moment between them. She pushed the other woman's hair back behind her ear, sliding her fingertip along the outer edge and settling it in the area just behind her lobe, the pad of her thumb returning to the edge of her jaw. She refrained from speaking, sometimes she didn't need to. The mossy tones in Carla's eyes were brought out so clear and vivid in the natural lighting, which the room let in copiously. She was always beautiful, immaculate, but there was something more when she was like this; the blush of exertion that had been brought to the surface of her skin warming her cheeks, full lips a deepened rose, a direct result of the amount of love she'd pressed against her skin; every hair out of place, tangles that had formed, friction against the soft cotton pillows when she'd writhed against the sheets. Carla knew, too, she knew Michelle loved her that way. The younger woman could see it in her eyes, they were smiling even before her mouth curved; Carla knew exactly what Michelle was taking in, why she was quiet, why she didn't need to speak. The room melted away, Mexico melted away, the whole world didn't exist when every one of Carla's barriers were down and she was exposed; Michelle couldn't keep ahold of how much time she'd lost reading her. Carla felt things deeply and her eyes forever betrayed her. Several times Michelle had felt her heart break at the epitome of sadness she'd found there over the months they'd spent together, but today they were knowing and sparked with what Michelle wanted to open her mouth and say, but the thought had barely entered her mind when Carla's smile widened and she blinked slowly, deliberately and green was filled with such an intense warmth that she was sure she could feel it seeping into her skin. It was only when the younger brunette felt her own eyes misting and through semi-blurred vision saw Carla's features crease, her front teeth appearing over her lower lip as she gazed at Michelle in complete endearment that she finally had to break the silence. She threw her arms around the other woman in desperation, pulling her firmly into her chest, one hand resting against the back of her head as she grazed the tip of her nose over her ear.

"More than anything," she whispered, inhaling deeply, her lips creating a path from the top of cheekbone to the side of her head. "You know that though, don't you? I love you more than anything."

 **IXIXIXI**

Carla was awake, but she didn't want to open her eyes. Her limbs ached with fatigue as she stretched luxuriously against the smooth sheets, letting out a content hum. Her hair was being soothingly pushed back in repeated strokes, nails lightly dragging against her scalp. The comforting motion was threatening to send her back off once more.

"You can go back to sleep, darling, you don't need to wake up yet."

Carla was tempted, but she could have sworn she smelt the aroma of expensive coffee and it had sparked her senses.

"I'm awake now," She murmured, finally allowing her eyes to flutter open, blinking to get used to the dim light. Michelle hadn't opened the curtains fully, so the sunlight wasn't streaming directly into her face.

"Welcome to day four of paradise." Michelle grinned, leaning down for a lingering kiss, her fingertips lightly trailing down the side of her cheek. Carla pulled her back when she attempted to break it, sliding her arms around the younger woman's waist and continuing to work her mouth slowly against Michelle's, as though she needed to familiarise herself with what she could never forget. They continued to kiss lazily and Carla deftly swiped the tip of her tongue against the other woman's lower lip, causing Michelle to part hers and meet it with the gentle brush of her own.

The older brunette's murmur of contentment encouraged Michelle to keep up the interaction for a few moments longer, nudging her nose against the other woman's when she eventually pulled away.

"What do you want to do today?" Michelle questioned, her hand falling back to Carla's hair, fingertips gliding between the strands.

"Well we've got that boat trip tomorrow, do you just fancy a laze on the beach?" She suggested, propping herself up against the pillows, feeling slightly more awake but still not as energised as she could be. She supposed they'd had an intense few day's, done a lot of walking between laying around on sun loungers to familiarise themselves with their resort and surroundings and she wasn't sure they'd ever recovered from their early morning flight and the jet lag brought on by the six hour jump back in time upon arrival. Michelle nodded, getting off the bed to pick up the large breakfast tray that had been situated on her bedside. Carla flattened the sheets and crossed her legs, allowing Michelle to settle it front of them. That's there the smell had been coming from. It was laden with a silver cafetière filled with dark coffee, a jug of milk, sugar, two colourful bowls of chopped up fruit and a small platter of breakfast pastries.

"I called room service while you were asleep."

"I wondered why you were all wrapped up. I'm not used to seeing you in that much clothing." Carla smirked, eyeing the white towelling robe which bore the hotel logo in gold thread just above her chest. Michelle raised her eyebrow and tugged at the fastening, allowing it to drop down from her shoulders to reveal the same night dress that the older brunette was blaming entirely for how tired she felt that morning. It wasn't much of one at all, lacy at the top with a deep v neck and a short flow of satin that just settled at the top of her thighs in a deep emerald colour. She must have only been wearing it for around three minutes the previous evening before it had been pulled from her.

"I was doing it to spare you, you're wearing yourself out." Michelle teased, as Carla chose that moment to stifle a yawn behind her hand.

"I'm fine!" She insisted. Though she did feel slightly drained, she was sure it was nothing a few hours stretched out on the sun wouldn't cure.

Michelle reached over behind the bowls of fruit and picked up the foil blister pack that had been hidden by them. She popped out the dose of medication and reached out for Carla's hand, tipping the pills into her palm. She nodded to the bedside table on her side and Carla found that a glass of water had already been placed there.

"We'll take it easy today," Michelle spoke softly, in silent understanding and Carla felt the warming ache start in her chest. There were days when she herself would almost forget to take her medication, but the younger woman had never once not seen that she'd had it. Most days she'd roll her eyes and tell Michelle off for being a nag, but she knew how much she had to care, in order to worry about her daily.

Breakfast was a lazy affair between the kisses and chats about nothing in particular. Carla recalled gleefully as they'd packed their bags for the beach that everyone in the factory would just be finishing their lunch hour and heading back for the second half of the working day.

They linked hands as they left through the hotel doors, the beach only metres away. It was early enough so that there were still plenty of spots to choose from and Michelle strategically snagged two sun loungers that were close to the beach hut bar that offered cocktails, snacks and other soft drinks. Carla wasted no time in shrugging off the white, tasseled dress that hung loosely from her frame and settling down against the towel she'd laid across the bed. A pair of dark sunglasses covered her eyes, so Michelle couldn't she what she was watching, but the younger woman was definitely watching her, the way the deep navy bikini brought out the bronzed tone of her skin and the more golden streaks in her hair, which she could have sworn the sun had already lightened.

"See something you like?"

"Your mind is always in the gutter!" Michelle accused, peeling her shorts away from her body and settling down against her own towel. "I was actually going to say I like that bikini, it brings out your tan."

"I'm surprised I've got one, with you rushing up to slather me in suncream at every given opportunity." She smirked, reaching out to give her a gentle prod in the side.

"Excuse me for wanting to make sure you're safe in the sun," Michelle defending, causing Carla to let out a bark of laughter.

"Not an excuse to touch me up, then?" She pressed, biting her lip in satisfaction when a hint of colour appeared on the younger woman's cheeks. She knew she hadn't been imagining the way her hands had lingered on certain areas of her body, massaging her skin long after the sun lotion had been fully absorbed.

"You enjoy every second." Michelle fired back, throwing her a wink as she reached out, lightly hooking her little finger around Carla's, their hands swinging between the beds.

Carla allowed it to remain, settling back down and letting out a deep sigh. It was bliss, the gentle wash of the waves against the sand, light chatter and the occasional spill of laughter as the beach began to fill up. Somewhere in the distance she could hear the faint strings of a guitar playing in the background, the song slow enough to be soothing rather than distraction...

Carla must have dozed off. Her eyes were hazy when she next opened them and she felt unbelievably relaxed, the fatigue from earlier had left her limbs. Not much time could have passed, the sun had barely moved across the sky. There was a boat further out in the sea, a tiny white triangle against a vast of aqua blue and the only marring in the sky came from the streak of white that billowed from a plane thousands of feet high. Carla smiled to herself; there were hundreds of people on that plane, hundreds of them totally unaware that she could see. They could be flying to or from their holiday, or maybe they were on business or visiting family overseas. She used to spend time watching people go about their daily lives; growing up she used to wish she had theirs, they always seemed better, then she vowed that their life would become hers, that she could be just as successful, she could shop in designer stores and swing glossy shopping bags between her fingertips, too. But now there was no other life she wanted but the one she had made hers, she didn't want anyone else's story than the one that belonged to her and the woman who was currently nose deep in the book splashed across her hands.

Carla had tormented her a little after she'd packed it, feigning offence that her company wasn't enough and that she wouldn't be getting the chance to read it at all. It was some sort of thriller with a romantic element, that she remembers from skimming her eyes disinterestedly over the back of it after Michelle had dropped it down in a mock huff. The younger woman hadn't realised she'd awakened, but Carla knew for sure Michelle had known she'd been sleeping, because her wife had thoughtfully angled their parasol so that the top of her head was shaded from the intense rays. These tiny details would always be locked in her heart, all the intricacies of love and care that Michelle still extended out to her after all these years. Carla's eyes drifted over her sun-kissed skin, gleaming from the lotion that was still being absorbed into it. Her hair was piled up on top of her head but strands were slipping from the sloppy bun and framing her face. Even from the short distance between them, she could see the speckling of tiny freckles that had broken out across her nose. The skin there was just starting to turn pink, she must have missed a spot with the protection spray. Michelle had evidently decided she'd had enough of reading, she bent the page of her book and dropped it down into her lap, turning onto her side away from Carla so she could fix the corner of her towel that had slipped down. Her limbs moved of their own accord, the older woman pulled herself up from her sun bed and fluidly slotted herself in the small space behind Michelle, who jumped at her sudden appearance.

"You scared me!" She laughed, turning her head around, their close proximity meaning they were practically nose to nose. Carla was flush against her back, her arms winding themselves around her waist and Michelle's hands automatically settled over the top of them. The older brunette bent her head and dotted several kisses against her shoulder, which was also scattered with pinprick freckles.

"Sorry," Carla whispered, nuzzling into the side of her neck for the moment, her skin was still dewy and she could smell the tropical scent that infused her suncream. "How long did I fall to sleep for?"

"Only an hour, how're you feeling?"

"Better," she admitted, raising her head and kissing the tip of Michelle's reddened nose. "You look beautiful."

The younger woman's eyes lit up, the sun had already brought out the tones of green and gold in them, and she let out a shy hum of laugher. "Have you got heatstroke?" She grinned, pretending to look concerned.

"Well no I wouldn't have would I?" Carla's voice was gentle, her thumb stroking against the side of Michelle's hip. "Because my thoughtful, caring, _beautiful_ wife wouldn't have let that happen."

Michelle's expression softened, her grin falling into a touched smile and one of her arms left Carla's as she curled it around the back of them, her palm resting against the other woman's dark hair to coax her closer. Their lips met softly and Carla moved her own hand up to rest against her cheek, holding her there.

"I wish you could _feel_ how much I love you. In here." Carla murmured, pressing against her own chest, her heart was humming and sometimes she swore that love was a fifth element, an almost liquid like warmth that infiltrated into every crevice and as heavy as it was it made her light.

"I do feel it," Michelle insisted, still so close to her that their lips brushed as she spoke. "I feel it all the time."

 **IXIXIXI**

"That's the best Pina colada I've ever tasted." Michelle nodded her approval, placing her glass back down onto the table. They were at in a quirky, family friendly beach restaurant beneath a thatched roof after deciding to have a break from the sun and get lunch. They were seated almost next to one another, rather than opposite, so they could both look back out onto the beach and so Michelle could keep stealing olives from the salad Carla had ordered.

"You don't even like olives." Had been her defence when Carla's fork had tried to bat hers away.

"Maybe I changed my mind." The other woman shrugged, spearing one and bringing it to her mouth.

Michelle narrowed her eyes, wondering if Carla was about to inflict it upon herself purely to be contradictory, but then she let out a giggle and held the fork out to her instead and she moved forward to take the salty fruit between her teeth. There was a loud clang from the table next to them, the slam of cutlery being put down far too hard but when they looked up, they saw there was a family sat there and one of the children must have dropped something. Michelle thought she saw a stern look across the mother's face, but quickly turned her attention back to her drink, which Carla was helping herself to a sip from.

"You're right, that's gorgeous." She nodded, grinning when Michelle tried to swat her away. Carla took hold of her hand, lacing their fingers together just so she could see the way Michelle visibly softened at her affection. Her shoulders lost all tension and she shuffled her chair closer, raising their clasped hands and kissing the back of Carla's.

From the corner of her eye, Michelle thought she could see a fixated glare in their direction, but when she turned her head, the family in front of them had their eyes down and were continuing their meal, although the blonde woman looked to be tight lipped. She was probably imagining it, or maybe it was just one of those days; holidays with children could sometimes get stressful. Carla didn't seem to have noticed at all, she was plucking the cherry from her own cocktail glass and made a show of folding her tongue around the cocktail stick, before pulling the sweet, round fruit off it with her teeth.

"Are you trying to flirt with me?"

"Why, is it working?" Carla grinned, leaning across and pushing Michelle's hair behind her ear. She carefully slotted the cocktail umbrella into it and then tipped her chin. The younger woman tilted her head and met her halfway, pressing her lips firmly against her wife's.

There was another slam, a louder one and this time it was followed by a cry of outrage which neither could ignore.

"Excuse me, would you both mind _not_ displaying that kind of behaviour?"

It was the blonde woman across from them, she'd rose up from her seat and was watching them with a look of contempt across her features.

"You what?" Carla frowned, genuine confusion written across her face. Her brow was furrowed and she could see the woman's children glancing from her to Michelle, and then back up at their mother. They were wide eye'd and nervous, clearly just as confused as Carla at the anger their parent was displaying. Her husband, also fair haired with the same blue eyes as the two little boys sat at the table, was trying to distract their attention.

"This is a family friendly restaurant."

"Is there a point or are you just stating facts?" The older brunette questioned, wondering if the aggravated blonde had just had far too much to drink.

"So my family don't need to see things like that while we're trying to have a meal." She nodded to where their hands were still clapped and Michelle had a sickening feeling that she suddenly knew exactly what the woman was referring to.

"What're you talking about?" Carla glanced around the restaurant. It was small but full to capacity. There was another family towards the back, but the rest of the tables were occupied by other couples. In fact, a tables across a younger pair had given up completely with their meals and had decided to lunch on one another's faces instead. "Have you had a look around you? We're not doing anything more than every other couple here."

"Every other couple here is _normal_."

The penny dropped and Carla's face turned thunderous. She flew up from her seat in outrage. "You what?" She snapped, making to move towards her but Michelle tugged on her hand desperately.

"Carla, don't." They we're attracting a lot of attention now, the sound of cutlery ceasing from the surrounding tables as knife and forks were suspended in mid air.

"Look whatever you do behind closed doors is your business but we don't need to see it here. Frankly, it's disgusting."

"Are you deranged? No, seriously, are you?" Carla asked, her tone vicious. Her eyes were charged with fury and Michelle could feel her shaking with anger. "It's two thousand and nineteen! Get over it. If you hadn't noticed, no one else here minds that I'm here with my wife and I don't want your behaviour spoiling our honeymoon. So if you don't like it, you know what you can do."

"My children shouldn't have to be exposed to your unnatural ways!"

"No, they get enough of that with you as a mother!"

She made a lunge towards Carla and Michelle automatically stepped in front of her, holding her hands up. "Look, we didn't come here to cause any trouble. We've finished anyway so let's just pay and—"

"Er, why the flamin' 'ell should we go? I'm not letting this bigoted idiot push us out because her mind is too tiny to comprehend the fact that some people are _gay_."

Carla might have gotten a better reception if she'd sworn at the children, because the blonde haired woman had clamped her hands over the closest boy's ears and gasped in horror. "Don't you speak like that around my children!"

"There's only one of us damaging them." Carla pointed out, her arms folded defiantly across her chest. The fair haired man who was still seated looked uncomfortable, but he hadn't tried to talk his wife down. Beads of sweat were gathered on his forehead and he had one of his sons on his knee; he only looked about five.

"Is everything okay?" The restaurant manager had managed to weave his way between the tables and place himself in front of the warring duo. He'd obviously been summoned by the waiting staff, who had been stood looking conflicted at what to do for the best.

"Not really, I didn't know this place was _homophobe-friendly_ , too."

"Carla, please." Michelle's voice was soft and desperate and when the other woman turned to her, she was shocked to see the tears that had gathered in them. "Can we just go? I want to go."

Carla was fuming. Not only had they been insulted but she'd upset Michelle. For the sake of her, she agreed to leave: her comfort meant more than decking the deserving bitch, no matter how tempting it had been. The tiny victory she gained came from the apologetic manager and the assurance that their meal was on the house as they left. He'd offered to have them back again free of charge, but was understanding at their reluctance, though he had still taken down their details should they change their mind. Michelle was certain they wouldn't.

Carla watched in concern at the way Michelle sank down onto the bed, her shoulders slumped. She was quiet, she hadn't spoke on the way back to their room, hadn't let Carla take hold of her hand. Now that they were back in the privacy of their own suite, she tried again, sitting down beside her and clasping it between her own.

"'Chelle, talk to me." She sighed, reaching out to push away the hair obscuring her face. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea that anything like that would happen."

"How could you have? It wasn't your fault."

Carla bit her lip, looking uncertain for a second.

"When— when we booked this, I checked."

"We?"

"Kate. She helped me." Carla confessed, letting out a heavy sigh. "I didn't realise there were so many places in the world that wouldn't accept us. This wasn't supposed to be one of them." She pushed herself further back onto the bed, swivelling around to face Michelle properly. She took her other hand and held both, giving them a comforting squeeze. "It makes me sound stupid and naive, and I suppose I was always just a little bit ignorant to how much prejudice people face. People like Kate. Like— like us."

"I knew it happened I just didn't expect it to— It was a shock. Sometimes I forget because— Oh, God, this will sound so stupid." Michelle was struggling, her brow furrowed with confusion and her eyes were shining again.

"Hey, it won't. Nothing you're feeling is stupid." Carla spoke gently, trying to reassure her.

"It's almost like I forget that we're now part of this whole new community because I don't see myself as gay."

"Well, we're not are we? I only said that back there because she was doing my head in. I didn't mean to erase who you were, 'Chelle."

"No, I know," Michelle brushed her thumb over the back of Carla's hand in reassurance; that wasn't what she had meant. She'd never given it much thought until the woman at the restaurant had made her feel different. "I'm just not sure who I am, in a way. I fell in love with you because you're you, not because you're a woman. And I'm not married to a woman because I'm gay or bisexual, I'm married to a woman because she's the person I fell in love with. Does that even make sense?"

A warm smile stretched across the older woman's face. She shuffled up towards the top of the bed and positioned herself against the pillows, holding her arms out. Waiting until Michelle was curled into them, she pressed a brief kiss against her forehead before speaking.

"You couldn't have explained it any better. You know you don't have to fit into a label or category, right? You said you're not sure who you are," Carla whispered, her thumb making gentle circles across the younger woman's cheek. "You're an amazing mum, a wedding planner, a singer—" Michelle scrunched her nose up at that one, but Carla chuckled and continued "You're my best friend, my wife—" this time it was an appreciative murmur that Michelle responded with; those were two categories she definitely didn't mind belonging in. "But, most importantly, and before anything else, you're _Michelle_. That's all anyone has to know."

Michelle looked up at her, feeling the surge in her chest, because Carla always knew how to make her feel better, how to talk her through. It was still scary, knowing that they couldn't guarantee they were always going to be safe, accepting that some people would automatically hate them for doing nothing other than falling in love. But she couldn't bring herself to feel a single ounce of resentment; it was all worth it. She'd never felt love like this.

"Thank you," Michelle solidified her words with a grateful kiss, which only further reinforced to her that nothing they ever did could ever be unnatural, not when Carla's lips shaped so artlessly around her own.

 **IXIXIXI**

"Are you ready?"

Michelle was just setting her loose waves with finishing spray. Carla wouldn't tell her where they were going, only that a car was picking them up. Truth be told, Carla wasn't sure exactly where, either. She'd taken a call from the manager of the restaurant that they'd been subjected to prejudiced verbal abuse and she'd graciously accepted his apologetic offer. She'd looked it up online after the call had ended and she was glad she had.

Michelle emerged from the bathroom in a loose, red sundress with slim straps, synched at the waist with a black belt. It flowed to the middle of her thighs and when she turned around to step into her sandals, the straps continued down her bare back in a criss-cross pattern.

"You look gorgeous."

She span back around to face Carla, her eyes instantly falling to the sweeping black maxi dress that flowed over the other woman's slender frame. There was a high split i just off the centre of it, revealing the smooth, bronzed expanse of her thigh. She'd left her hair straight and it really was lighter now, especially against her darkened tone.

"Have you seen yourself? I can't believe I'm married to you." Michelle shook her head, walking over to her and slinking her arms loosely around her waist. "No wonder that woman was giving us such a hard time, she was probably secretly gutted you were taken."

Carla let out a laugh, happy that Michelle was able to make a joke out of the situation. Neither had taken it lightly and the younger of the two had erred on the side of caution regarding physical affection in the open ever since. She knew why Michelle had been so affected by the public attack, why she was still slightly weary of their safety, but Carla had done her best to reassure her and had refrained from pushing her out of her comfort zone while she recovered from it. Michelle deserves to enjoy the honeymoon just as much as her.

There were two restaurant staff members waiting at the entrance to greet them, dressed in white shirts and black waistcoats. They were lead down a path shrouded by greenery and Carla could see the confusion on Michelle's face as they slinked past palm trees and were left at the top of a stairwell.

"Where are we going?"

"If you put one foot in front of the other you'll find out." Carla grinned, standing behind her but sliding one arm around her waist to aid her down the stone stairs. They spiralled down and dipped beneath the masses of green plants and all natural lighting was suddenly doused. The stairs were lit with lanterns and Michelle stopped in shock, turning to face Carla.

"Is this real?"

"It's not an illusion." She laughed, though knew exactly what Michelle meant. "Yes, it's real."

They were stood right in the mouth of a vast, cave, which had been transformed in such an amazing way that all of its natural formation had been reserved when it had been developed into a restaurant.

More staff were greeting them at the bottom of the stairs and they were invited to explore the area before they were seated.

"This is beautiful, Carla." Michelle whispered, taking hold of her hand without a second thought as they started to journey around the cave. She'd expected it to feel cold, but it was oddly cosy in the dimly lit cavern, flickering torches and candles giving off a romantic glow. Lights had been strategically placed in all the contours of the walls, showing off its formation in all of its glory; but the best part wasn't until they'd been shown through to the bar.

It was daunting and beautiful, the stalactites that hung down from the high ceilings. It might have looked ominous, but they were lit up so brightly in a rainbow of colours; blue, red, green, yellow.

"Ooh you wouldn't want one of those breaking off into your Pina Colada, would you 'Chelle?"

"Carla!" Michelle spluttered, giving her a gentle nudge. "Can we stay and have a drink here first, before we sit down?"

Their table was in a tiny alcove, secluded and private when they were ready, but they were happy enough for now to sit under the beautiful, terrifying rainbow daggers, sipping on some tropical concoction that they'd been informed was on the house.

"Carla," Michelle's voice was soft, still audible over the acoustic music that had started to play sometime after their second drink. Her face was serious and the worry must have shown on Carla's face because the younger woman reached out placed her hand over where hers was resting on the bar.

"Thank you for bringing me here. For helping to remind me that parts of the world are still beautiful. I always think to myself I wish I could freeze time, stay in certain moments with you forever. But I think if we could do that, it wouldn't feel as special." A second hand was placed beneath hers, Michelle was now clasping it, moving her thumb down to gently swirl over the wedding band wrapped around her ring finger. "I'm never going to forget this, being here with you. We've had a tough year but it only made me more determined to be with you and I really don't take a moment for granted. I love you. I know I say that all the time, but I feel it all the time, whenever I'm around you and I mean it just a little bit more every time I say it."

There were rainbow tears glistening in Carla's eyes and she let them roll down her face, an emotional laugh emitting from her lips; sometimes it felt like she was so full of love for Michelle that her body never knew quite exactly what to do with such an amount and it spilled out of her any way it could. "'Chelle... I kind of want to marry you all over again, now."

Illuminated fittingly by the bright, multicoloured lights overhead, she took the younger woman's face between her hands and kissed her. She was slow at first, she didn't want to interfere with Michelle's comfort and for the first second, the younger woman's response did feel wavering. Carla was going to pull away, but then the other woman's hands fastened themselves around her neck and pulled her even closer. She pressed her mouth into Carla's with more certainty and kissed her back; freely, unwaveringly and undoubtedly.

 **A/N: Thank you once again for the amazing comments and all the support! Happy one hear anniversary to Glass Hearts!**


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